Equilibrium: Sanguine & Tenebrae
by Ayyo'sWriting
Summary: A love story revolves around a Breton mercenary named Duncan. Duncan has a strong and determined heart. Duncan wishes to resolve the incident of his father. Duncan and his father were separated from each other for about nineteen years. Duncan desperately seeks for answers but eventually encountered a mysterious woman who helps Duncan to embark on his adventure. (OCs & NPCs)
1. Prologue – A New Beginning:

**Author's Note 12/02/2017: I rewritten this chapter to increase the consistency of the story. I know this may upset some of you because I said that I wouldn't rewrite it but thank you for viewing it.**

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 **Synopsis:**  
A love story revolves around a Breton mercenary named Duncan. Duncan has a strong and determined heart. Duncan wishes to resolve the incident of his father. Duncan and his father were separated from each other for about nineteen years. Duncan desperately seeks for answers but eventually encountered a mysterious woman who helps Duncan to embark on his adventure.  
Rated M for Mature: (Contains Strong Language, Nudity, Violence, Gore, and Strong Sexual Content.)  
The game _Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim_ belongs to _Bethesda Softworks_ and they deserve the credits for making this brilliant video game. Mods included so all credits go to their respective owners (E.g. Immersive Armors  & Bosmer Armor Pack). I do not own anything but some characters that I have created and some artifacts. I hope you people enjoy my fan-made story.

 **Prologue – A New Beginning:  
** _During the Dawn Era, a dragon named Akatosh was the first dragon to set on the earth. Akatosh was known as the Dragon God of Time. Akatosh gave birth to two children, Alduin and Paarthurnax. Alduin was a dragon who had little understanding of humanity and Paarthurnax had gain such intrigue by them. Alduin was a humble son but yet a dangerous dragon and he lived with his younger brother Paarthurnax. Akatosh loved his two children with all his heart and he was willing to do anything for them. Alduin viewed humanity as insects and he wanted dominance over them. Alduin instead wanted to eradicate the human race and let dragons rule the other earth. Alduin persuaded Paarthurnax to join his plan but he refused. Akatosh did not like Alduin's schemes and he wanted to convince him not to execute his plans. Alduin didn't want anyone to get in his way including his father and he was willing to murder his own father to rule Tamerial. A violent confrontation had broken out between Alduin and his father. They both fought for many years and Alduin was eventually beaten; he was foolish to think that he would surpass his father. Akatosh did not want to kill Alduin since he was his beloved son, so he exiled Alduin from his home. Fumed with anger and rage, Alduin could not bear it any longer, so he wanted to retrieve the Elder Scroll to obtain infinite power. Paarthurnax felt sorrow for Alduin due to his heart-wrecking exile and then he was convinced to take part in his plan. Alduin arrived at Sovngrade and slaughtered many mortals within the region. Paarthurnax also committed the atrocities against mankind but afterwards he felt complete regret and self-loathing. Paarthurnax did not want to continue Alduin's plan and he was forced to flee. While Alduin by himself enjoying his immoral act, many Nordic warriors were powerless to stop him but one mortal had the power to end it all. Dovahkiin… Dovahkiin had the blood and soul of a Dragon and he was the only one who could slay Alduin as the prophecies said. Dovahkiin and Alduin fought but Alduin eventually overwhelmed Dovahkiin and was the victor. Alduin was about to achieve his goals but Dovahkiin managed to secretly retrieve the Elder Scroll before Alduin did. Dovahkiin used the Elder Scroll's Time Wound to seal Alduin within Sovngrade and Dovahkiin hid the Elder Scroll within Skyrim, so that no one would be able to break the seal. Dovahkiin had defeated Alduin in such a struggle but the seal did not hold Alduin for long… Centuries later, Dovahkiin had died due to old age and he was not transported to Sovngrade after his death. Dovahkiin's whereabouts were unknown to the people of Tamerial and humanity seeks for desperate answers. Alduin had ultimately broken the seal and he was set loose to Skyrim, home of the Nords to find the Elder Scroll. Dovahkiin was not there to support the human race and Alduin will destroy every essence within the earth. All life is doomed or… is it?_

 _The story began with Duncan passing through the peaceful landscapes of Skyrim and continuing his job as a mercenary. Skyrim was filled with a delicate terrain. The sun shone on the mountains and rocks. The sky was blue filled with white clouds. The waterfall from the distance splashed on the river below it. Skyrim was filled plants and flowers grew due to the beginning of spring. The mountains pointed towards the white clouds. Deer and Elks were dipping their heads within the river, consuming fresh water._

 _Our hero, Duncan looked like a knight in shiny armour with his long blonde wavy hair that was shoulder length and his muscular body. He had fair skin and a straight forehead. He had a thin 'Greek' nose. Duncan's lips had a sharp cupid's bow. His chin was an oval shape where his nicely done goatee was placed and his eyebrows were slightly thick. He was standing a height of 180cm (5'11). He looked very handsome and he had black war-paint around his eyes but they are not messy or bushy; it was a straight and narrow line around his eyes like an ordinary eye-makeup. He had almond sea blue eyes and he wore the Dragon Knight Armour. He held two swords on his back for dual wielding and a crossbow behind the two sheathed swords._

 _Before Duncan could proceed any further, he eventually encountered a mysterious young woman being harassed by Bandits. The woman was best described as a beautiful cherry red-haired heroine wielding an Ebony sword and shield. She had a braid at front of her hair and it was covering up her forehead. Her left side ponytail was curled into an oval ball. The right side of her hair was shoulder length and straight. She wore the Ebony Armour by Ysmir. She had round eyes which were light-blue like a blue crystal shard. She had soft, silky and full lips coated with pink lip gloss. She had indigo purple makeup on her upper eyelids. She had straight, slightly thin eyebrows. She had a round face and her cheekbones were hardly visible. She had fair skin and she had a thin, slightly upturned nose, which she also had light freckles wrapped around her nose. She roughly seemed to be in her mid-late twenties and standing a height of 168cm (5'6)._

Duncan quickly came to her aid and defended her like a knight in shining armour.

Duncan shouted "I'm here, do you require any assistance!?"

The mysterious woman gave a glance look towards Duncan and yelled "I can handle myself!"

Duncan replied "I assure you, you can't!"

"Whatever, just take care of these guys okay!"

Duncan smiled and mumbled "Whatever you say…"

Duncan and she proceed to fight. Duncan used his two swords and clashed against one bandit with a greatsword. The bandit and Duncan had a struggle but Duncan easily overwhelmed him. The woman used her shield to bash the bandit's face eventually knocking him to the ground. She slowly approached the bandit.

The bandit raised both of his hands and yelled "No wait!"

She then impaled him with her sword while the bandit was on the ground. Duncan evaded one of the bandit's attacks and slashed the bandit on his knee. The bandit screamed in extreme pain and went on his knees. Duncan used his two swords to press on the bandit's neck and Duncan used his strength to decapitate him. Blood sprayed everywhere on the ground and the bandit's bloody head went rolling on the floor.

Another bandit widened his eyes due to extreme shock and he yelled from the distance "Jamil!"

Tears shed from the bandit's eyes due to intense grief. The bandit bared his teeth and clenched his blade tightly to display his rage. He charged at Duncan impulsively with his iron sword. "I'll butcher you gob-shite!"

Duncan replied "Not before I turn you into grilled venison!"

Duncan used his Wall of Flame spell to burn the bandit who was charging at him. The bandit was screaming and flailing his arms in the air in torment. The woman conjured a Flame Atronach to aid her in battle.

One bandit gripped his sword tightly and shouted "Bitch is conjuring!"

The woman yelled to the Flame Atronach "Go!"

The Flame Atronach ran towards the bandit and committed safe-destruction upon him. Blood splattered everywhere and the bandit was dismembered every limb around his body due to the attack. The field was clear from the bandits and Duncan and she both defeated the bandits and saved each other lives without a hassle. Duncan spun his swords and sheathed them on his back.

Duncan approached the beautiful lady and greeted her in a polite way. "Hey, you did great and I want to ask, are you okay?"

The women folded her arms and closed her eyes. "I'm fine. I didn't really need your help."

Duncan displayed signs of irritation and he squint his left eye. "Hey! Be grateful, I just helped you out; I'm not the type of guy who saves random strangers who have incidents like these, regularly."

The woman folded her arms in displeasure. "You don't have to yell at me! You saw me clearly maintain this battle without me requiring your assistance."

The woman placed her hand on her left hip and scoffed "Let me guess, you're my hero; a handsome, charming and dashing knight in the shining armour who encounters a vulnerable woman needs rescuing?"

Duncan mumbled and glared with a firm expression "Sort of… and please don't discuss about those heroic cliché traits."

The women asked "I'm not trying to give you any sort of irritation but why did you help me from the brink of danger?"

Duncan folded his arms and replied "My body felt like doing what it does naturally. What I want to know is that why a lovely red rose like you out here in the middle of nowhere?"

The woman raised her hand up near Duncan's face and said in a firm tone "Please save it. That is none of your concern."

Duncan got irritated by that response and pointed at her. "Look, Skyrim is not a game; it is a dangerous place especially for somebody like you."

The woman claimed "Why are you so stereotypical? I can look after myself, you saw me how I handle those thugs without a struggle."

Duncan exhaled to relief his stress and asked "May I help you in some way?"

The woman used tissue cleaned her blade and said "No."

Duncan was infuriated by that response and said in an antagonizing way "Tch! Fine, do what you will! I was just trying to be generous and humble but seems like you don't fancy those traits. I hope you think about your impulsive actions and one day realise it!"

Duncan got infuriated by the woman's response and preceded to walk off in annoyance. The woman looked down on the grass and thought to herself for a brief moment.

She then agreed to allow Duncan to help her. "Fine… You can help me."

Duncan stopped and turned his head towards the woman. He frowned with one brow and asked "And in exchange?"

She replied "I could pay you or I shall do whatever you please to return the favour."

Duncan smiled and nodded "It's okay my lady, you don't need to do anything for me."

She mumbled "It's Elisa."

"Huh?"

Elisa spoke louder to get Duncan's attention "Elisa is my name."

Duncan performed a bow by placing his right hand on his chest and lowering his head. He extended his left foot and smiled. "Oh! It is a pleasure to meet you Elisa, my name is Duncan."

Duncan and Elisa began to walk together and Elisa had many duties to fulfil. They both converse about Elisa's matters.

Duncan asked with curiosity "Where are we going?"

Elisa replied "To Windhelm."

"Why?"

Elisa replied "Galmar Stone-Fist or that is his name to be specific, needs to receive a message that I am going to send him."

"You work for Ulfric Stormcloak?"

Elisa replied "No, I am just doing this favour for a friend who was within the Stormcloak army. His name is Archer and he's a Stormcloak spy, before he could deliver the message he was shot down by archers... hence his name."

Elisa curled her lips and rubbed the back of her red hair.

Duncan asked "How did it happen?"

Elisa replied "Due to his disguise being spilt. Whilst he was dying, his friend Sorss gave me the message about the execution of Ralof in Helgen. He needed me to finish his mission because he is my friend, a friend that took care of me."

Duncan took his eyes off Elisa and said gently "Sorry..."

Elisa heard his apology and she stared at him for a brief moment. She quickly took her eyes away from him and she remained silent.

Duncan changed the subject and he said "That is why you are going to Windhelm to warn Ulfric Stormcloak. He needs that letter to save Ralof from his head rolling on the floor."

Elisa complained "That is correct and I need some money or I will be evicted from my home. You know Skyrim and how they do their taxes. Argh! Ridiculous!"

Duncan anticipated Elisa's eyes and said "That is due to the civil war, things haven't been easy for you and I. Judging by the look on your face, you're not doing this for money at all but you're doing this to be a good friend." Elisa looked at Duncan and remained silent a second time.

Duncan suggested "Maybe I could do a generous offer by lending you some money."

Elisa frowned and replied "And how am I going to repay you?"

"You don't need to."

"I appreciate that offer but I have to refuse. You need that money more than I do."

Duncan frowned and asked "How would you know that? I know you are being generous but…"

Elisa answered and smiled "Because you're the type of guy who departed from home to earn a living, am I correct?"

Duncan unfolded his arms and chuckled "Smart girl and you could say that."

Duncan and Elisa encountered a bridge but it looked unstable and the ropes of the bridge were peeled off causing it to be thin and weak. It looked like it had been a violent confrontation between two people within the bridge. The bridge however, was the fastest route to Windhelm; Duncan was suggesting that the two should go around in a different way.

Duncan immediately stopped and said "Wait… This bridge is unstable but it's the fastest route to Windhelm."

Elisa replied "We should go pass it but we must take it slow and gently."

Duncan shook his head and disagreed "Are you insane? This bridge will fall as soon as we step on it. I suggest we take the long route because it is more secure."

Elisa objected and said "I don't recommend us to be late, so we should hurry."

Duncan reluctantly agreed "Fine… Only one of us can go on the bridge at a time."

Duncan gave a glance looked towards Elisa and pushed her in front. "Ladies first…"

Elisa glared at Duncan with annoyance and said "You asshole."

Duncan returned with a smirk on his face and looked up with his eyes. "Just my habits…"

Elisa went across the bridge; she took her steps very slow and gently. As she took her steps, she could hear the bridge's instability thus making a high pitch racking sound. When the bridge gave a short violent shook, Elisa almost lost her footing and struggled to walk across.

Duncan widened his eyes and yelled "Are you okay!?"

Elisa responded in sarcasm "Yeah, I'm great. It's not like I'm going to die or anything!"

Duncan smiled and yelled "You're the one who suggested this route!"

Elisa finally made it across the bridge and she was panting due to fear and relieve. "Duncan… I finally made it… Now it is your turn."

Duncan briefly prayed that the bridge wouldn't snap as soon as he stepped on it. Duncan took his steps very slowly and gently. Ironically, the prayer did the exact opposite and the bridge was severely unstable. Duncan began to panic, the bridge snapped and it couldn't hold Duncan any longer.

Duncan turned his head back and he yelled "Shit!"

Duncan sprinted towards the other side and the bridge was pursuing Duncan; so that he could meet his death. Duncan was about to fall down the cliff due to the bridge's instability. Before Duncan could fall to his death, he took a giant leap and grasped on the cliff. Duncan hands were slipping off the cliff and Elisa sprinted towards him.

She grabbed his hand in the nick of time and said "Here… Get up…"

Duncan climbed up slowly and he was panting due to exhaustion.

Duncan said while out of breath "Thanks…"

Duncan went on his knees and small sweat was dripping from his face.

Elisa closed her eyes and smirk at Duncan to infuriate him. "You were right. Ladies should go first."

Duncan glared at Elisa and mumbled "Tch. Shut up…"

Duncan and Elisa continued their journey to Windhelm and they headed into the woods. Duncan and Elisa went inside the woods. The woods were full of trees and various plants and grass. The trees were blocking the sun's luminous and the shadows covered the characters.

Elisa felt a bit uncomfortable and looked aside while holding her right arm. She said "This is not creepy at all…"

Duncan looked at Elisa and replied "You should get used to it because-"

The two then abruptly encountered Spriggans, three to be specific and Duncan and Elisa were alerted but they drew their swords quickly.

Duncan shouted "Shit, Spriggans!"

Elisa shouted "They are susceptible to fire, use your flame spell!"

Duncan replied "I knew that!"

The immense battle had struck out and Duncan used his two blades to cut the Spriggan's stomach and the Spriggan wasn't fazed by the impact. The Spriggan gave an intimidating stare with its golden eyes to Duncan and tried to hit Duncan but the Spriggan missed. Duncan threw both of his swords at the Spriggan's foot and the Spriggan screeched in extreme pain. The Spriggan went on its arse while Duncan was approaching it. Duncan rapidly rotated his dagger with his right hand and used it to impale the Spriggan's head. Duncan quickly pulled the dagger out of the Spriggan's head. Elisa in the meanwhile got scratched by the Spriggan's claws thus knocking her down. Elisa yelled "Ah!"

The Spriggan then approached Elisa and used its claws to clash against Elisa's shield; Elisa and the Spriggan had a struggle between each other. Duncan intervened and used his swords to impale the Spriggan behind. The Spriggan immediately turned around and used its magic to pain Duncan slowly, making him to go into his knees. Duncan firmly stood up and used his Wall of Flame spell with two hands to burn the Spriggan until it died. The Spriggan died from Duncan's spell, burning it into a black twig.

Abruptly another one then was about to strike Duncan from the behind but Elisa shouted "Duck!"

Duncan immediately ducked and she quickly swapped to her bow to pierce an arrow through the Spriggan's head.

Duncan pulled Elisa up with his hand and said "Thanks."

The whole area was clear and the Spriggans were defeated. Duncan pulled his swords out of the Spriggan and sheathed them on his back.

Elisa offered a handshake to Duncan and Elisa said "Congrats, we make an excellent team."

Duncan smiled and he accepted the handshake. Duncan gave a strong and friendly handshake to Elisa.

They continued their journey towards Windhelm and Elisa asked "Duncan, where did you learn to fight like that?"

Duncan replied "Somebody special taught me."

Elisa asked "Who is this special person you speak of?"

"You will find out soon enough, I advise we continue to meet our distinction."

Duncan and Elisa exited the woods and saw Windhelm up ahead. Windhelm was covered in snow but however, the sun was shining that Duncan and Elisa did not require wearing fur cloaks. Windhelm was a city where Ulfric Stormcloak rules.

Duncan and Elisa approached towards the city- gates and Duncan said "We are near Windhelm. Those are the city gate guards, they should allow us to go through since we're not…"

Elisa guessed "Non-humans? I know."

Duncan nodded strongly and said "Right…"

They both approached the gates and when Duncan and Elisa were at the entrance of Windhelm, they abruptly encountered two Windhelm guards arguing with a Dunmer.

The Dunmer yelled "Why am I not allowed to enter!? I have the required permission and gold."

The First Windhelm Guard leaned forward to the elf's face and yelled "We don't open to your kind, elf scum! We don't want your gold or your presence here."

"This is absurd, I have my rights!"

The First Stormcloak soldier leaned forward and tilted his head right. "Are you deaf? Go before we loosen your tongue with our fists!"

The Dunmer stepped forward and refused "I'm not leaving until I enter this city."

The guard repeated himself in a gentler tone. "I think you misheard me. Leave now or we will fuck you up where you stand."

The Dunmer walked forward and wagged his finger. He continued to protest. "I'm not going-"

Before the Dunmer could finish his sentence; the city guard punched the Dunmer's stomach, thus causing him to lie on the ground and hold his stomach in pain.

The Second Stormcloak spat angrily "You cunt!"

They then beat the Dunmer savagely on the floor, punching him and kicking him. The Dunmer was rendered there helpless like a dog. Duncan got provoked and drew his swords but Elisa stopped him by placing her hand in front of him.

Duncan snarled "Bastards…"

Elisa said "Wait! You can't do anything, it will be considered as a crime and they will lock you up."

Duncan looked aside and sheathed his swords. "Dammit…"

Elisa said "Just follow my lead."

The First Windhelm Guard mocked the Dunmer and yelled "You like that pointy-ears!?"

Duncan and Elisa approached the Windhelm guards while they were beating up the Dunmer.

The First Windhelm Guard turned towards Duncan and Elisa and yelled "What do you want!?"

Elisa said "Don't worry, we come in peace. I would like you to leave my elf friend alone."

The Second Windhelm Guard beside the first one asked "Why should we?"

"I will pay you two-hundred gold."

"Fine… Get out of our sight elf!" The Second Windhelm Guard opened his helmet and spat on the Dunmer. Elisa then threw the gold poach to the guard.

The Windhelm guards walked away from the scene and one of them said "One fucked up day is enough…"

Duncan helped the Dunmer up and allowed him to sit on the floor. The Dunmer was covering his face and crying. Elisa used cloth to wipe the blood off his face.

Duncan asked "Why were they hitting you?"

He replied in sobbing tone "I *sniff* don't know, all I was doing was just going to my house and they wouldn't let me in. The Stormcloaks just hate us elves so much and we didn't do anything wrong."

Duncan folded his arms and he was disgusted "The Stormcloaks are bastards."

Elisa asked "What's your name?"

The Dunmer sniffed and he replied "Its Ryonil…"

Elisa crouched and said "Okay Ryonil is there any way we could can we help?"

Ryonil paused for a brief moment and said "There is one way… You could help me to sneak pass these guards. I doubt they will allow me through the gates because of my race."

Elisa asked "How could we do that?"

Duncan replied "I could knock them out with my wooden club."

Elisa grabbed her chin and said "Judging by your armour, it makes a lot of noise. They will hear you in seconds."

"I will change to a lighter one."

Duncan explained "When they're rendered unconscious, you two will sneak pass and take the top route, it will lead you into the city. Use these in case a guard detects you while sneaking."

Duncan gave Elisa and Ryonil wooden clubs in case they get detected.

Ryonil said "Good, we are all set and thank you…"

Duncan and Elisa introduced their names in sequence.

"It's Duncan."

Elisa held her chest and said "And I'm Elisa."

Ryonil stood up and he said "Duncan and Elisa you both should both get ready to let this plan take place. I will meet you when it is dark."

Duncan replied "Okay."

Duncan and Elisa agreed and got prepared for the plan. Duncan took off his armour and changed it to the Bosmer Reinforced Armor; he got his wooden club ready. Elisa got a rope and attached it to a hook.

Duncan sulked "I can't believe this…"

Elisa asked "What, helping a Dunmer to get his house?"

"No, I mean how the Stormcloaks treat the elves. All the Dunmer wanted is to return home but they didn't allow him, instead they beat the helpless elf on the floor."

Elisa gave a sad expression "You should get used to it; something similar happened to me once…"

Duncan frowned and guessed "Were you… raped or something?"

Elisa shook her head and said sadly "Attempted rape but I rescued myself through-"

Duncan narrowed his eyes and interrupted "Kill or be killed. Welcome to the real world…"

Elisa lifted her head up and stared at Duncan with her mouth open. Duncan saw the expression on her face and he wanted to avoid the conversation from going any further.

Duncan cut off the conversation immediately and said "We should get going."

Elisa still thought about the event for a brief moment and nodded. "You're right…"

Three hours passed by and Skyrim was approaching night time. Many people were asleep and there were fewer guards patrolling the area, however Duncan and Elisa must be quiet or the guards will be aware of their presence. Duncan and Elisa got prepared and they were ready to execute the plan.

Ryonil arrived and he said "I've got some invisible potions in case we get caught." Ryonil gave the invisible potions to Duncan and Elisa.

Elisa said "Thanks."

Duncan was prepared and whispered "We are ready."

Ryonil said "Good, let us go."

Duncan approached the Windhelm guards; the guards were having a conversation.

The First Windhelm City Guard sulked "Guard duty sucks, isn't there anything else better to do than stand next to the city gates all day long?"

The Second Windhelm City Guard replied "It is our job and Ulfric Stormcloak wouldn't appreciate it if we sat on our asses all day."

The First Windhelm City Guard sighed and said "Aye."

The Second Windhelm City Guard said "Do you know the dragon priest Miraak?"

The First Windhelm City Guard frowned and asked "You mean the first Dragonborn who has a mask that someone can fit his cock in?"

The Second Windhelm City Guard chuckled and replied "Yes, I thought there is only one Dragonborn that existed in this universe?"

"The Greybeards claims that they are thousands of Dragonborns in this world."

"You mean they have been a Dragonborn previously?"

The First Windhelm City Guard nodded slowly and said "Aye."

The First Windhelm City Guard scoffed "Hmph! I should have been the Dragonborn and save the world from Alduin by sealing him."

The Second Windhelm City Guard folded his arms and said "As if. Dragons do not exist anymore, they are extinct and I believe that you can't handle a dragon in a real fight due to your lack of training."

The First Windhelm City Guard glared at The Second Windhelm City Guard and said "Fuck you, you don't know that."

Duncan threw his bottle of ale to draw the guards' attention. The guards heard the bottle the smash and they got alerted briefly by the suspicious noise.

First guard said "What the?"

Second guard asked "Should we go check it out?"

First guard shook his head and said "I don't think that is a good idea…"

When the guard got distracted by the bottle, Duncan knew it was a perfect time to strike. Duncan jumped on the second guard, thus knocking him out.

The other guard heard the suspicious noise and abruptly turned around. He yelled "Oh shit!"

Duncan sprinted towards him and used the wooden club to hit the guard's face. The guard flew to the ground and groaned with a bloody mouth. The guard went unconscious and Duncan gave the signal for Elisa and Ryonil to go. Duncan placed his bottle of ales beside them to make them look like they were drunk. Elisa ran and threw the rope up; the hook of the rope attached the rooftop. Elisa began to climb the rope, when she arrived on top she encountered a Windhelm guard patrolling the area. She warned Ryonil not to climb up and she drank the invisible potion that Ryonil gave her. She slowly crept on the guard. The guard was humming to himself and he was unaware of Elisa's presences. She used the wooden club and smacked it on the guard's head. The guard groaned and fell on his back but Elisa caught him. Elisa hid the body and she signalled Ryonil to climb up. Ryonil nodded and he climbed up.

Elisa whispered "We will see you on the other side, Duncan."

Duncan put his thumb up and repositioned the guards in a more natural way. Elisa and Ryonil were inside the city and they were not noticed by any city guards. Duncan climbed up the wall and leaped onto the city's lookout building. Duncan took a deep breath and leaped towards the other end. Duncan saw Elisa and Ryonil and he approached them.

Elisa whispered "Hurry or more of the city guards will appear."

Elisa went grappling down into the city and then Ryonil went next. When Ryonil reached the floor in Windhelm; it was Duncan's turn to grapple down. Duncan reached the others on the ground and the three successfully entered the city without alerting their presences.

They quickly went towards Ryonil's home and Ryonil said "This is my house. I should thank you two for escorting me here. I wouldn't have done it without you."

Duncan said "Don't mention it."

Ryonil rewarded Duncan and Elisa for their assistance "Here's three hundred gold for helping me and if you guys need any help, you can always come to me."

Duncan said "Thank you Ryonil. I hope we cross paths again."

Elisa waved and said "Don't get yourself into trouble okay?"

"I won't and farewell."

Duncan and Elisa both said "Farewell."

Duncan and Elisa departed from Ryonil's house. Ryonil used his key to open his house door and he then shut his house door quietly. Duncan and Elisa departed away from Ryonil and Duncan was thirsty, he wanted Elisa and him to rest and have a couple of drinks.

Duncan suggested "Elisa, I'm thirsty. I suggested we head into the inn and have a drink."

Elisa agreed "Yeah, I think that is a good idea because it has been a long day."

The weather started to rain and water was dripping on Duncan and Elisa. Duncan was irritated by the weather and Duncan opened the door for Elisa. Elisa returned with a smile and they both entered the Candlehearth Hall.

The front door had a sign nailed on it and it said _"NON-HUMANS HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO ENTER."_ People within the Tavern were drinking and singing in such joy. People were talking about their everyday lives and getting drunk with their mates. They both spoke to the owner Elda Early-Dawn. She was cleaning the bar table with cloth and she asked "What would you two like today?"

Duncan said "Ale."

Elisa said the exact same time as Duncan spoke "Fruit tea."

Duncan and Elisa both looked at each other awkwardly without saying a word. They quickly took their eyes away from each other. Elda brought the drinks and gave it to them. "Here you go." Duncan paid for the two drinks and Elisa and Duncan both sat down on their table.

Duncan drank his ale and said "Elisa you did well out there."

Elisa replied "Thanks, I appreciate it."

"I think we make good friends, you and I."

Elisa smiled happily and nodded. "I know. The first time I met you, you seemed like a very nice guy."

Duncan chuckled and said "Nah, it was nothing. I just wanted to help a fetching young mistress such as yourself."

Elisa giggled and blushed "Stop it, you will flatter me."

Duncan laughed "After we deliver the letter to Galmar, we should get to know each other."

Elisa asked "What do you mean?"

"You can visit my house, where my mum lives."

Elisa agreed happily and said "Duncan, I would be delightful to meet your mother."

Duncan gave a light chuckle and said "Good, I would look forward for you to meet her."

Elisa asked "Duncan, how long would it take for us to get there?"

Duncan gave the thinking pose and said "We are going to travel by a carriage. It should minimise our journey by a big amount. "

"Okay, that will be fine."

Duncan and Elisa continued their conversation and a man named Stefan, from the distance said to Duncan "Hey buddy! The lass is a keeper, don't waste your opportunity."

Duncan smiled back to him and Elisa said "This place is amazing."

Duncan concurred and said "I know. Do you come here often?"

Elisa swiped her finger on the table and checked the dust on her index finger. "No, I don't. This place reminds me of my home before I left it."

Duncan nodded and said "Yep, me too. I do like entering Taverns because it is a nice place to rest your feet and take a break from work."

Elisa drank some of her fruit tea and said "Everybody likes to take a break once in a while."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "I warn you not drink too much or you will be wrecking the place due to your intoxication."

Elisa replied "Heh! I never drink because it makes you enter places that you do not want to be in."

Duncan said "I never get drunk because I can control my intoxication. Whenever I participate within drinking games, I usually become victorious."

Elisa frowned with one brow and said "You've never been drunk before?"

Duncan nodded and said "Never…"

Elisa paused for a while and said "Well… I'm getting a little tired I think we should head to bed because we need to finish a job."

Duncan nodded and said "Let us ask Elda to sleep within the inn."

They both asked Elda to sleep within the inn and she gladly allowed them to rest for the night.

Morning came and Elisa was ready to deliver the letter to Galmar. Duncan and Elisa arrived at the Palace of the Kings where Ulfric Stormcloak was discussing about the war meetings. They entered within the building and they were abruptly grabbed and restrained by Stormcloaks guards.

A Stormcloak Guard yelled "You two have committed crimes against this city!"

Elisa asked "What is the meaning of this?"

Galmar approached them and yelled "Don't act foolish! I saw two of my men beaten to a pulp. You two have smuggled a Dunmer into this city."

Duncan argued "That is because your boys restricted him from entering his house. He had the required gold to enter this city but you instead tortured the helpless elf."

Galmar angrily rebuked Duncan "Shut your mouth! Your crimes shall not be unpunished, so I will sentence both of you imprisoned in the Windhelm dungeon. Men, take these prisoners away!"

Elisa shouted "You guys are cold, racist, selfish bastards! You're not doing this for the freedom of Skyrim! You're just after one hungry power-struggle! I saw a poor helpless elf who was just trying to get back to his premises and then your men showed up and ruined it for him! You are no heroes but monsters who started this war and got innocents' blood on your hands. You have plagued Skyrim, you cockered ill-breeding harpy!"

"Shut your fucking gob whore!" Galmar slapped Elisa with his backhand so hard that it cut the side of her face.

Elisa moved her face right and yelled "Argh!" She held her cheek and widened her eyes while she stared at Galmar.

Duncan got enraged; he broke free from the Stormcloak's control and punched Galmar's face.

Duncan yelled "You fucking vile piece of shit!"

Duncan bruised Galmar on the cheek. Galmar snapped and quickly used the end of his battle-axe to hit Duncan on the face thus knocking him towards the ground. Galmar spat blood on the ground and wiped his cheek.

Galmar shouted "Take them away immediately and I hope they will rot in the dungeons!"

The Stormcloaks proceeded to take Duncan and Elisa away but Ulfric Stormcloak interrupted the scene.

Ulfric shouted while sitting on his throne "Galmar that's enough!"

Galmar argued "But my lord…"

"I said that is enough, I suggest you release these two because they have a valid reason coming here."

"Very well…" Galmar groaned and the Stormcloaks released Duncan and Elisa.

Ulfric arose from his throne and approached Duncan and Elisa. He said "I can anticipate that you two are not here to start a quarrel with my men. I presume you have an important message for me."

Duncan brushed his shoulder off the Stormcloaks aggressively and glared back at them. He replied "My friend Elisa, wanted to give you a letter about the execution of Ralof. He is going to be trailed for his crimes at Helgen. Believe it or not, I don't think the Imperials are going to let that execution slide."

Elisa gave Ulfric the letter and grabbed it. He read it for a brief moment "Hmm... Let's see here…"

The letter said _"Dear Ulfric,  
I notice word that General Tullius is going to organize an execution with Ralof. The execution is going to take place on the 17th of Last Seed at Helgen. Ralof had discovered some valuable information about the empire and what plan they are going to execute next. It could be the key of winning this war and I best advise you to rescue him at all cost. I tried to rescue Ralof but I failed due to them seeing through my plan. The mission you assigned us on was a failure. I have a little chance of surviving due to my wounds. I will use a backup plan of sending this letter to my comrade Sorss. But however, I need a special someone to deliver it to reduce suspicions.  
Yours sincerely, Archer"_

Ulfric looked at the letter with trepidation and then scrunched it up in fury. "Dammit! I needed you Archer! I needed you! You had one task! *Sigh* However, that does not matter now…"

Ulfric wagged his fist and breathed slowly to remain collected. "Okay, okay…"

Galmar looked at Ulfric with consideration and asked "What are your manoeuvres, my lord?"

Ulfric sullen looked towards Galmar with aggravation and said "I will attend Helgen and rescue Ralof."

Galmar shook his head in confusion and protested "Why, my lord? Why can't you send me or a few of our men? Why does it have to be you to execute this mission? If they capture you, they will be victorious over the war and all our brothers and sisters' sacrifices will be for nothing..."

Ulfric looked at Alfaar and ordered abrasively "Alfaar, bring me my longsword!"

Alfaar the Stormcloak soldier nodded with little agitation. "Y-yes, my lord."

Ulfric replied "I have attempted that procedure in the past and that has failed me thus far. This war has wage long enough and I am going to end it right now."

"Patience is the best method for now… We could think of other plans to overcome this situation."

Alfaar presented Ulfric's longsword inside a brown sheath. Ulfric took the blade and holster it on his left hip. Ulfric looked at Galmar and replied "No, waiting will cause more bodies pile up. People will die, Galmar and I can't tolerate that."

Galmar exhaled to retain his composure and said "I understand… I don't agree with it… but I understand…"

Ulfric turned and looked at Duncan and Elisa. "I shall thank you two for notifying me and I will reward you both to show my gratitude." Ulfric gave Duncan five-hundred gold poach and Duncan grabbed the poach.

Ulfric looked at Elisa and said "I'm guess you are the one he is talking about. I'm sorry about your friend's death but I will try to make it up for him."

Elisa nodded strongly and Duncan took the money and said "Thank you."

Galmar asked "What about their crimes? They can't go unpunished for assaulting our men."

"They did no crime and you should release them in this instant."

Galmar agreed and turned to Duncan and Elisa "Very well. Go immediately before I change my mind!"

Duncan and Elisa immediately exited the Place of Kings. Elisa stuck his tongue out behind Galmar's back unnoticed.

Duncan whispered "Assholes…"

Duncan looked at Elisa and asked "Elisa, are you okay?"

Elisa replied "Yeah…"

Duncan examined the cut that Galmar gave to Elisa. Duncan pressed the wound to see if it would hurt.

Elisa yelled "Ow!"

Duncan apologized and said "Sorry. This is going to sting a little…"

Duncan poured alcohol on his cloth to sterilise Elisa's wound. Duncan used the cloth and pressed it Elisa's cut.

Elisa grunted "Argh… ow… ow…"

Duncan got infuriated "Son of a bitch! He should be taught to never hit a woman."

Elisa gave a warm smile and said "It's okay and thanks for sticking up for me by striking that asshole."

Duncan gave a gentle laugh. "Hey, don't mention it. If anybody touches you again, I'm going to create cave through their stomachs." Duncan clenched his fists firmly.

Duncan said "Hey Elisa, we should go to visit my mother's house."

Elisa concurred "You're right. I think we earned ourselves a break."

Duncan and Elisa exited Windhelm and went towards the horse stable. There they met a guy named Alfarinn and gave him twenty gold.

Alfarinn asked "Where would you two like to go?"

Duncan replied "Whiterun."

"Whiterun, where Jarl Barlgruuf controls? Climb on and we will be off."

Duncan and Elisa climbed on the back of the carriage and Duncan decided to rest before they arrived.

Duncan said "I am going to sleep, so that I can relax."

Elisa replied "Mhm you do that."

Duncan slept for a few hours and they arrived at Whiterun. Elisa slapped Duncan's chest and he woke up.

She said "We're here."

Duncan and Elisa got off the carriage and they journeyed towards Duncan's home, after an hour they were near his home. Before they could precede any further they abruptly encountered a troll within the woods.

Duncan complained "Argh… You have got to be kidding me."

Elisa drew out her bow and Duncan charged at it with his swords. Elisa shot the Troll on the leg and the Troll fell on his knees. Duncan used his swords to cut its stomach; Duncan created a wound so deep that intestines went flying out of the Troll. Elisa shot her bow again and landed an attack at the Troll's chest. Duncan gave the final blow to the Troll by impaling it and Troll was screeching in pain and squirming around; flailing its arms around while the sword was stuck in its abdomen. The Troll was died slowly and blood was pouring out of its body, displaying a blood pool. The Troll died and Duncan used his strength release the swords of the Troll's body.

Elisa sheathed her weapon and said "That takes care of that. Shall we proceed?"

Duncan said "After you my lady."

Elisa smiled and replied "Always the gentlemen?"

Duncan smiled and they both walked, preceding their journey to meet his mother.


	2. Chapter I – Family Reunion:

**Author's note 28/12/16: Guys, I rewritten this chapter again and I'm sorry because things didn't feel right. I corrected many grammar mistakes and I hope it helps you guys. Sorry :(**

* * *

 **Chapter I – Family Reunion:  
** _Duncan and Elisa arrived at his mother's house. The cottage looked very average and bland like an everyday cottage for a family. The cottage was built by using a material called wood and the windows were clean._

When Elisa and Duncan arrived, he told Elisa "Elisa, this is my home… well, it used to be."

Elisa grabbed her chin and inspected the house carefully. "I see… this is a cottage where a small family could live in."

Duncan responded "I know, we didn't grow up as a rich family and we lived in this cottage. Going to school in my days were tough because we lived far away. My mum lives here by herself and she doesn't receive much visitors."

"Your mother must get lonely often."

Duncan looked at Elisa with muse and said "Yeah... I usually visit her to check on how she is doing due to the amount of debts she had been receiving each year. Money hadn't been coming by because our family was so poor. Nevertheless, she's a very nice person and please be on your best behaviour. She can be very… embarrassing." Duncan looked aside and frowned with embarrassment.

Elisa raised her right hand up and said "It's okay; I'm used to this kind of stuff."

 _Duncan nodded and then knocked on the door, somebody opened it. The person who was behind the door revealed to be somebody he recognised. It was his mother; she had black hair and blue eyes just like Duncan's. She had black eyebrows that were straight and slightly thin. She had an oval face with deep set eyes. She had slightly pale skin with a thin Greek nose like Duncan's. She had a smooth Cupid's bow and a round forehead. She wore a dark blue dress but her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows. She had a sliver wedding ring located on her left ring finger. She appeared to be in her late 40s and she had a medium ponytail with long bangs on the left and right side. She was pretty short and she wasn't wearing any makeup like Elisa. Surprisingly, she still looked beautiful in her age…_

Duncan lifted his head up slowly and gently said "Hello, Mum…"

Duncan's mother was extremely amazed to see her son again. Her heart was filled with joy and she responded with a heart-warming tone. "Duncan it's you…" She hugged Duncan tightly and passionately.

Duncan displayed embarrassment on his face and looked towards Elisa with a frown. "Hey-hey-hey, I have just been out for a… 'while'."

Duncan's mother released Duncan and asked "Where have you been? I've been so lonely without you but I shouldn't be surprised."

Duncan's mother showed a happy expression on her voice. "It's so good to see you."

Duncan's mother turned around and looked at Elisa, greeting her pleasantly. "Who is your friend, Duncan?"

Duncan answered "Oh? Her name is Elisa. She's a friend of mine, we've had some acquaintance. I helped her for a special task."

Elisa greeted Duncan's mother in a polite way. "It's nice to meet you, madam."

Duncan's mother offered her a handshake and Elisa happily oblige. "It's Sara and it is a pleasure to meet you Elisa."

 _Elisa and Duncan entered the cottage. The place looked very clean and tidy as if Sara had cleaned the house all day without gaining any rest. The house contained a brown oak floor and a wooden ceiling. The house had a small kitchen and a small round wooden table. A large fabric couch was at the middle of the living room and a fireplace was in front of the couch. Another wooden round table were far behind the sides of the couch. The table had three wooden chairs surrounding it. The house was two storeys and there was a staircase far behind the couch. Upstairs had three bedrooms and one bathroom._

Sara looked out of the window to see outside and she said "It's pretty late and I soon have to serve dinner. Elisa, maybe you can stay here and have dinner with us."

Duncan butted in the conversation and asked "I'm sorry to protest but do you think it is a good idea mum?"

Sara folded her arms and responded "I don't see any harm inviting a guess to dinner."

Elisa was very thankful and she said "I-I don't know what to say… but thank you. I hope I will have a lovely time with you two."

Sara was very proud and responded "Don't mention it, sweetheart."

Duncan decided to help his mother with dinner but Elisa wanted to tag along with Duncan.

Duncan said "Mum, I'll help you with dinner."

Elisa cuts off Duncan and decided to help them with serving dinner. Elisa frowned and said "You mean 'we will help you with dinner?'" Duncan was happy with Elisa's response and gladly gave permission for Elisa to help.

Duncan folded his arms and said "You can help if you want but just don't break anything."

Elisa happily nodded and Duncan smiled back. The three decided to serve dinner, making apple dumplings with fish salmon. Elisa was brilliant cook and Duncan didn't do that much since Elisa was conquering the kitchen. Sara was very impressed with Elisa's cooking skills and dinner was finally served.

Duncan amazed by Elisa's skills and said in amazed tone "Wow, Elisa you have such an astonishing cooking skills."

Elisa was satisfied by that response "Why thank you, I've been doing this for years."

Sara cleared her throat to interrupt. "The food isn't going to eat themselves you know."

"Oh, you're right, Elisa please sit." Elisa and Duncan sat down on their sits and ate dinner.

Sara rested her arms on the table and asked Elisa "So what brought you to Skyrim, honey?"

Elisa responded "Well, I was returning home from my trip High Rock."

Duncan frowned with one brow and said "High Rock? That's where my grandfather lived."

Elisa continued "I was assigned there for an important task involving my friend Archer. We needed to help somebody named Jinn to unravel the secrets of the artifact that he had recently found."

Sara placed her cheek on her palm and asked "What was it like in High Rock?"

Elisa replied "High Rock was a beautiful place. It was a lovely landscape to explore, I saw a many friendly Bretons there.

Duncan said "When I was little. I wanted to visit High Rock to see my people."

Elisa asked "You're a Breton? You look like a Nord, judging by your long blonde hair."

Sara nodded and Duncan gave a glance look to his mother and said "Yes, my mother and I are Bretons but my father is Nord."

Elisa gave an intriguing stare and asked "Can your mother cast spells?"

Sara laughed and said "No, no I tried using the fire spell but… I ended up burning the kitchen."

Duncan rolled his eyes and said "The amount of cleaning that we had to do."

Sara frown her face and said "I almost had it right."

Duncan closed his eyes and shook his head. "No mum… just no…"

Sara unfolded her palm and said "You can continue."

Elisa continued "When I was returning to Skyrim, I was shipwrecked."

Duncan drank his ale and looked at Elisa. He asked "How that happened?"

Elisa responded "It was due to a storm. The storm was violent and it damaged the ship we were boarding on. The captain couldn't stabilise the ship, therefore the ship was buried beneath the ocean."

Duncan continued drinking his ale and said "Were they any survivors?"

Elisa used her fork and knife to take another bit from her fish salmon. She chewed the salmon and responded "I didn't know if they were any survivors. Most of the people there died or were swapped away by the sea. I struggled to escape."

Sara looked at Elisa with full attention. She grabbed the apple dumpling and used her hands to break it in half. She inserted the apple dumpling into her mouth. She used her right index finger to push the apple dumpling further into her mouth.

Elisa continued "The worst part was, I was at the coldest parts of Skyrim and my body was floating on the river. When I was dying from the frozen sea, these strangers came to my aid. They saw my frozen body and later then took me to a warm place, treating my wounds."

Duncan took a bite of his apple dumpling and chewed it. He said "I know how you must feel because we have something in common. Just like you, I had a worst situation. I was attacked and left for died by a group of random thugs."

Sara said with annoyance "This is why I never wanted you to take the job as a mercenary."

Duncan protested "So what you want us to run out of money and let those sons of bitches kick us out?"

Sara banged her fist on the table and raised her voice. She delivered more aggravated eyes towards Duncan. "Well, that is better than you being killed."

Duncan widened his eyes and then remained silent due to sadness. Sara saw the expression that he was wearing and then expressed sorrow.

Sara apologized and said "I'm so sorry Elisa… We got a little carried away…"

Elisa looked at the both of them and she said "It's okay."

Duncan smiled half-heartedly and said "You can continue…"

Elisa continued "When I recovered from my injuries, I decided to go towards Yellowseed graveyard to visit to a grave."

Duncan and his mother looked towards each other for a brief moment, and then Sara asked "Whose grave is it?"

Elisa remained silent and looked down on her plate. She gave a sad expression on her face and she didn't continue her story.

Duncan said to his mother "Mum, I don't think that is any of our business."

Sara folded her arms sadly and looked aside with sadness. "You're right, I'm sorry…"

Awkward silence broke out and then Duncan asked his mother "Mum…, ever since I was gone, how were things?"

Sara replied "Not so good. The government wants me to pay my debts and I owe them a lot of money. I haven't been receiving much income lately. I'm growing poor and I need money before they kick me out of my house."

Elisa said "I think we both are experiencing the same thing but I am in a better position."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "Elisa that is not helping the situation…"

Elisa shook her head and said "That's not what I meant… I wanted to lend some money to your mother."

Sara raised her right and said "That is very nice Elisa but I think you need that money."

Elisa nodded slowly and Duncan asked "Mum have you got a job that will give you a fair amount of pay?"

Sara shook her head and said "Not really. The employment rate is very low within Skyrim due to the civil war. I farm for food and I receive very little pay; an average of 10-20 Septims."

Elisa asked "Hey Duncan, you have a job, don't you? Maybe you can do a generous offer and lend your mother some money."

Duncan shook his head and said "I don't have much money on me right now and my job is not easy to accomplish."

Sara prevented the conversation from going any further and smiled at Elisa. "Anyway… How did you and Duncan meet?"

Elisa used her eyes to look in the air and rested her arms on the table. "How Duncan and I met was… me being ambushed by a few outlaws whom I could easily take out by myself." Elisa gave a serious tone and then looked towards Duncan.

Duncan frowned with a bit of nervousness and then narrowed his eyes. "What you're still on about that? I couldn't just leave you there by yourself, you could have died."

Elisa scolded Duncan "I know you were trying to help Duncan and I appreciate it but I am not weak."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "I never said you were…"

Sara said "Elisa, Duncan was just trying to be gentlemen towards you."

Elisa folded her arms a bit of annoyance and said "You're right, I shouldn't be ungrateful for what you did and you have my thanks Duncan."

Duncan was satisfied by Elisa's response and chuckled. "Don't mention it."

She thought to herself for a brief moment and said to them "Strangely enough when I see you two, I feel a bit of sadness. When I see people with parents, it kind of makes me sad."

Duncan began to look at Elisa with an unpleasant stare. Sara held her chest and gave a shocking expression.

Elisa revealed her answer in a weak voice "Because they were killed… when I was a child."

Duncan and her mother were looking displeased.

Duncan tried to cheer her up by synthesizing. "I'm sorry for that happening to you, Elisa but I know how it feels to have a dad not by your side."

"Honey, it's because Duncan's father left when he was a child."

Duncan replied bitterly "He's probably dead."

Sara placed her arm on Duncan's right arm and said "Don't say that, you might see him again."

Duncan gave a glance look towards his mother. "Heh… Unlikely, which is why I am going to find out what happened to him."

"I know that you are depressed about him leaving Duncan but you shouldn't doubt things."

Elisa reassured Duncan "I am very sorry Duncan but your mum is right, you don't know if he is dead."

Duncan nodded slowly and said "Indeed so…"

Elisa asked Sara about her hobbies. "After when Duncan's father departed, could you care to explain to me about what has been happening?"

Sara explained without hesitation and she gave a glance look towards Duncan. "Life wasn't easy for me and my son. I have to frequently leave my son alone in the house to work and then he decided to do child labour. He was just a boy… and then he…" Sara stopped talking and looked down with a sad expression.

Duncan looked at his mother and he said "Mum, I'm not a boy anymore… I can handle myself."

Sara looked at Duncan with innocent eyes and said "That is not what I am sad about. I'm annoyed that you went through that kind of life when you were just a boy."

Duncan looked at his mother and said "Do you remember what those bandits were about to do you? I had to kill them."

Sara looked at Elisa and then used her hand to straighten her wedding ring. "We were talking too much… Forgive us."

Elisa rested her arms on the table and she said "I tell you've been through a hard life and I am grateful that you have shared it with me."

Sara nodded and wiped tears out of her eyes. She then straightened her wedding ring and gave a sad smile.

Duncan looked at his mother and said "Thank you Elisa."

Sara finished her food and took her plate away. She told Elisa and Duncan "Well, I apologize for leaving and I hope you had a great meal with us. I will head upstairs to finish some documents that the government has requested. I've got a lot of papers to fill."

Elisa nodded and said "Indeed, I hope I see you soon."

"See you mum."

Sara placed her plate within the sink and washed it with soap. She exited the living room and headed upstairs.

Duncan looked aside and said "She left in a very convenient time."

"Mhm, I agree. It is strange enough for her to leave that quickly."

"We shouldn't let that disturb our pleasant conversation."

Duncan wanted to know more about Elisa and he began asking her questions. "Sorry for being completely off subject but I need to ask, where were you born and what kind of person are you?"

Elisa replied "I am a Nord who lived in Skyrim since I was born."

"A Nord? I heard that they were forming a rebellion by Ulfric Stormcloak. Ulfric Stormcloak had started the civil war and driven Skyrim into hell, heads being displayed on sticks, casualties of innocents and homes are being erased by enemy attacks. All you could hear is screaming and the crowd yelling at the distance while executions are being performed. You can't move an inch without Skyrim being in conflict. Heh. Ulfric Stormcloak is a major asshole, if you ask me."

Elisa concurred "Everywhere I go, the Stormcloaks are always preaching about 'Skyrim belongs to the Nords!' It's pretty bothersome."

Duncan folded his arms and loured. "I know they won't shut up about it! Now the civil war is going nowhere, they are not just killing their foes but… the innocents are being involved within this war."

Elisa drank her tea and placed it on the table. He said "Ulfric Stormcloak did start it by murdering the high king and I don't think General Tullius will show any mercy to Ulfric."

Duncan asked "Elisa, do you think they will be peace?"

Elisa shook her head and said "Unlikely…"

"People are so absurd to believe war is a good thing because it gets us nowhere. People will be claiming of which side they want to be, the Stormcloaks or the Imperials but that doesn't matter because war is hell."

Elisa gave a concerned stare towards Duncan and said gently "I take it that you have seen some horrifying events."

Duncan looked aside with a speechless face and said half-heartedly "You don't want to know... *Sigh* Trust me... You don't want to know..." Duncan shook his head in disappointment and sighed. Elisa continued to stare at Duncan and looked down with her eyes with muse.

Duncan immediately changed the subject and said "Anyway, forget all of that… You can carry on."

Elisa continued "After our parents died, my sister and I were transported to the orphanage. The orphanage wasn't a good time because we were beaten a lot. It was boring and mundane; we didn't get along with other kids."

Duncan drank his ale and asked "Could you talk about your sister more because I'm really curious." Elisa smiled and she rested her cheek on her palm. "My sister was stubborn and she always refused to listen to our elders. She tells me stories about the outside world such as animal, seas and Nordic warriors. She sometimes gets irritated when I use complex words from the dictionary."

Duncan looked aside with his eyes and said "If someone kept doing it to me, I'll get irritated sometimes."

Elisa folded her arms and said "Language helps us with many things and I assure you it's not nugatory."

Duncan shook his head in bewilderment and asked "The hell does that mean?"

Elisa folded her arms in annoyance and said "This is why it irritates me when people never read the dictionary. Education to me is momentous."

Duncan folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Now you're just messing with me…"

Elisa chuckled and pushed her hair aside. She gave a short smile with amusement "Yeah…, yeah… I am…"

Duncan asked "Could you talk about your relationship with her?"

Elisa's eyes went to the right and she pouted her lips in reminiscent "One time my sister borrowed a nudity painting in our elder's office and she showed me. We laughed in disgust and we pointed at the woman's breast frequently." Duncan held his head in embarrassment and Elisa gave a short laugh.

Elisa continued "When it was bed time, we snuck out of the orphanage and we do some treasure hunting or fishing by the nearest river. My sister and I decided to do this because we weren't free in the orphanage."

Duncan drank more of his ale and said "Were you ever caught?"

"Fortunately no, we were never caught and if we were, we would be severely punished. We wanted to become rich because to live a decent life. That was our very purpose of us sneaking out of the orphanage most of the time. In the orphanage, we were always shut out and kept inside like some prison. After a decade, we were grown up and we had earned lots of money from the amount of treasure we managed to retrieve."

Duncan asked "How much?"

Elisa smiled and said "Roughly about 100,000 Septims."

Duncan widened his eyes and said "Wow… How will you spend all that money?"

Elisa replied "Used that money to purchase a house for my sister and me. It's located near Whiterun but it's quite small because we didn't want to waste the money on a big estate with three million servants, washing our feet's."

Elisa rubbed the back of her neck and said "We did however… lose most of that money…"

Duncan raised one brow and asked "How?"

Elisa replied "Rent…"

Duncan rolled his eyes and said "Of course."

Duncan rested his right hand on the table and said "Being a noble is not the life I want to live because what's the point of having that much wealth if we are going to get bored of it quickly. Being rich doesn't grant you a happy life, everybody knows that."

Elisa concurred and said "Love and compassion is better. Without a family or close friends, we are nothing."

Duncan nodded his head and said "I agree."

Elisa continued "We spent our time exploring Skyrim. My sister wanted to join the College of Winterhold and I thought it was absurd idea. She knew nothing about magic and it didn't feel natural to us Nords."

Duncan drank his ale and smacked it on the table firmly. He pointed at Elisa and said "You sure talk about your sister a lot; it seems that she is really respectful towards you."

Elisa placed her hand on her left cheek and gazed at Duncan. "She is and you two share a bit of a resemblance."

Duncan frowned towards Elisa with confusion and then proceeded to take a slip of ale. "What? I don't comprehend."

Elisa covered her mouth and chuckled "I mean how you lunged to save me. My sister would have done the same thing."

"It was nothing. I just wanted to be nice; I don't fancy somebody being harassed by thugs." Elisa gave Duncan a soft smile, Duncan returned with a gentle smile.

Duncan asked "Could you explain more about what is it like in the orphanage?"

"One time I was being bullied by one kid and my sister used a stick to whack it on the bully's head and shoved it done his throat, so far up to his Uvula."

Duncan looked aside and gave an embarrassing frown. "Gross…"

Elisa continued "We got in trouble afterwards and my sister and I were being pursued by one of the elders. They caught us and punished us by smacking our asses by canes."

Duncan shook his head and scoffed "The orphanage sucks and may I ask your sister's name is?"

"Her name is Mai."

Duncan folded his arms and said "You're lucky to have a sister; unlike you, I don't have any siblings. When your parents are gone, you have siblings to support you."

Elisa nodded happily with a smile on her face. "Mhm. That is correct indeed."

"Have you found some artifacts that fair a decent price?"

Elisa shook her head and said "Not really but we have encountered some… but the chance of very rare. However, both of us were too foolish to realise how dangerous Skyrim really is… Since we haven't been outside that much, we thought Skyrim would be exciting and adventurous behind its face. At first, we were amazed by the glorious sight and we were excited to unravel the secrets. The first time I went out to the landscapes of Skyrim, a bright smile was brought on my face. But turns out I was very wrong…"

Elisa began to look down with depressive face and held her cup tighter. She said weakly "Skyrim is dangerous place with all the bloodshed, rape, racism and murder. I was a fool to realise Skyrim was a fairy-tale but people should avoid thinking Skyrim is a happy place to live in."

Duncan drank more of his ale and looked at Elisa with a serious face. "You don't know the half of what this world is like… You're just seeing a fraction of it…"

Duncan leaned forward and gave her a serious look with aggravation. "Bandits tried to kill me when I was just a child."

Duncan then glowered and snarled "After that, they would've raped my mum, if haven't have killed them. So, those bandits back there that we've fought… they're not a laughing matter. Fuck!" Duncan sat back down and softened his face to regain his composure.

Duncan exhaled to relieve his stress and replied "Sorry… I got a little carried away…"

Elisa raised her right hand up and said "It's okay."

Duncan poked his eyes out and said in a serious tone "We are not in a world that is kind to anyone. Don't believe that the world would pity you for a second."

Elisa stared at Duncan and looked down on the table with a slow nod.

Duncan exhaled lightly and shook his head. "Anyway… has anything gone wrong with your "treasure hunt"?"

Elisa replied "There was one time… My sister and I entered a Dwarven ruin near Windhelm and we encountered these vile creatures called the Falmer. They were ugly, voracious and intimidating. They used various types of spells, ranging from invisibility to bound weapons. They will not hesitate to kill you within seconds. You must avoid them at all cost if you have no experience in fighting."

Duncan instantly anticipated the situation and predicted Elisa's story. "I'm guessing you both encountered those things and then ended up into a horrific situation."

Elisa gave a down face and said "It isn't that difficult to predict that situation."

Duncan frown his face sadly and asked "What happened?"

Elisa explained reluctantly and sighed "My sister and I, just like you said encountered the Falmar… We entered the ruin and saw the creatures lurking within the shadows. When we discovered them, we ran as fast as we could to make it out of there alive. We ran and we ran… but they were always closing us in. We had no experience within combat and we had no chance of retaliating. We were pursued till we reached a dead end, on a peak of a deep cliff. My sister and I were cornered, then…"

As Elisa continued to explain her childhood; Duncan gave an uncomfortable frown towards her.

Elisa replied "My sister told me to flee while she diverted them. I refused at first but then I reluctantly agreed. She saved my life but she didn't last long against the Falmars… My sister was killed by the Falmers, she was shot by arrows, each arrow impaled through her chest and blood was bursting out of her mouth. She struggled to stand on her two feet and went falling down the cliff. I couldn't mourn for her death at that time because I needed to run… I needed to survive. I was so scared and frightened to bear the experience…"

Duncan instantly slammed his fist on the table and the plates recoiled violently. Elisa flinched and looked at Duncan with shock.

Sara was on her chair writing some letters to the government. She abruptly heard the noise from downstairs. She almost dropped the inkwell on the table due to the noise.

She responded "Are you okay? I heard a loud noise."

Elisa replied "It's nothing, we are okay."

Duncan mumbled "It's not fair…"

Elisa looked at Duncan and said "Huh?"

Duncan looked down on his plate with sadness and said "It's not fair for you… You have gone through such tragedy and you didn't deserve any of it…"

Elisa lifted Duncan's chin up to cheer him up. "Listen; don't be so hard on yourself. None of it was your fault."

Duncan lifted his head up and said "I'm sorry that I reacted like that."

Elisa looked aside and paused for a bit. She tapped on the table with her fingers for a brief second and gave the thinking pose. "Let us change the subject… I would like to know more about you Duncan, tell me about yourself."

Duncan looked at Elisa and frowned "Okay, are you sure…? There is nothing really interesting about me but very well. I am a Breton who was born and raised in Skyrim."

Duncan chuckled "I have long blonde hair, as you can see-"

Elisa gave a warm smile and Duncan continued "-and I love drinking ale. I occasionally practise swordplay and hunt in the wood. I use two swords because it is better than one and I use the crossbow instead of bow because it penetrates amour more often. I wear heavy armour because it gives more of a protection."

Elisa rested her cheek on her palm and said "Interesting explanation but do tell me. What else?"

"I train every day to improve my combat techniques. Skyrim is a dangerous place with all the monsters around but it shouldn't be the monsters that I should be worrying about..." Duncan looked aside in anger but quickly soothed himself. "When I was young, I practise with my dad regular. My dad was a harsh teacher and he provided me an utmost training. At one point, he said 'You're not eating dinner until you do a hundred sit ups, understand!'" Duncan gave the voice impression of his dad.

Elisa gasped and covered her mouth with her right hand. She said "How cold, you were just a child."

Duncan smiled and shook his head. "Not really. I usually finish doing my exercises quickly and appear nowhere behind my father's back. He will jump up and say 'Wow, I'm impressed Duncan, you shown valour and dedication. Do a hundred more.'"

Elisa was surprised and she said "Your dad was very mean to you. He should give you a break."

Duncan shrugged his shoulders and explained "Eh, my dad wanted to make me strong and capable. He wanted me to defend myself, after shit happened... When I was practicing with a dummy, my dad would say 'Wrong! Work on your feet! Faster you're losing focus! You don't strike Duncan, you flail!'"

Duncan raised his hands and vibrated it with frustration. "He was irritating me so much. At one point, I struck the dummy so hard that the sack tore. One time my dad trained me and he hit the end of his wooden sword in my stomach. I was crying and what he said was 'Get up Duncan and be a man, a warrior never cries. You wanted to protect the people close to you but it's easier said than done. Now wield those blades and strike me with your heart into it!' I slowly got back on my feet and raised my two blades. I struck him viciously and hit him within the gut. When I won, I didn't see what benefit it would grant me but I still felt satisfied in a way… But, of course he would overpower me, since he was older."

"You must have trained a lot with a harsh teacher."

Duncan pointed at Elisa and said "I assure you, I did. A warrior must know that even if they are master, there are no limits to their potential."

Elisa smiled and she said "Your training days were really harsh but it was interesting. You must have a lovely family and what about your mother?"

"My mother is really motherly but kind. She frequently scolds my father for being too harsh on me and telling him that I was just a child. She does most of the cleaning around the house and complains numerous times that my father and I don't do anything."

Elisa drank her tea and she asked "What else?"

Duncan rubbed the back of his head and said "Don't tell her that I said this but… she gave birth to me at a very young age…"

Elisa asked "How old?"

Duncan replied "Nineteen… They got together at an early age and they… had… I think I'm talking too much…"

Elisa widened her eyes at a brief moment and said "Wow…" Duncan rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

Elisa smiled warmly at Duncan to express how interested she was in the conversation. "Your family must be nice people and you must have a delightful time with them. You're lucky to have parents."

"I wish you grew up with yours. You would have known how it would have been…" Duncan rested his hand on Elisa's shoulder briefly to show sympathy.

Elisa smiled and removed Duncan's arm off her shoulder. She asked "What was your father like?"

"My father was a blacksmith and he runs a local shop near Solitude. Him and I go there and do some work to earn money."

Elisa rested her arms on the table and gave an intriguing look. "So you worked with your father at a young age?"

Duncan nodded and he said "Yes, I was his assistant at the age of eight; I helped him by doing petty tasks. I fetch the ingots, leather strip and food for him to eat…"

Duncan rolled his eyes and sighed due to absurdness. He then he explained furthermore and said

"He helped to craft this armour that I am wearing."

Elisa was amazed and she said brightly "Wow, looks fascinating."

Duncan wiped his noise and tried to hide his smirk. "Um… Well, the materials that were made for the armour was dragon bones and scales…"

Elisa frowned and she said "How?"

Duncan replied "My father met this man named Kuvareel. I have never met the man in person but I know my father and him, have some form of acquaintance."

Duncan claimed "After months, he finally did it. He crafted the strongest armour known to man."

Elisa asked "What about the Daedra?"

"Huh?"

"You know the Daedric Armor crafted by the Daedra Princes themselves. Many people believe that is the strongest non-enchanted armour within Tamerial."

Duncan gave a heroic pose and yelled proudly "Heh. Daedra does not overwhelm my father's craftsmanship."

Elisa covered her mouth and giggled with amusement.

Duncan covered his face with his palm and said with embarrassment "Sorry… That sounded too childish…"

Elisa smiled and asked "I hear that blacksmiths usually resorts to accidents. I know this sounds awkward but did you encounter any?"

Duncan rubbed the back of his head and said "Yeah… I burnt my wrist with melted ore. He kept saying 'You should have paid attention.' My father kept scolding me and fetched a wet cloth to heal the burnt mark on my wrist. My father can be annoying at times but he cares."

Elisa stuttered and looked puzzled "Duncan that is really nice to hear but sad… b-but nice…"

Duncan gave Elisa a weird stare and continued with his conversation.

Elisa asked "Duncan, may I ask you something?"

Duncan replied "I'm all ears."

"What do you do? I mean do you have any occupation?"

"Well, after my years doing child labour; I decided to become a mercenary. I do contracts, I hunt criminals, outlaws and monsters for profit."

"What was the experience?"

"I receive a huge amount of pay for the work I do. Some contracts however were difficult and tedious because I did struggle to capture some targets. Criminals with a hefty bounty were indeed a pain but I manage to defeat them. The higher the bounty, the bigger the reward. I didn't enjoy it though..."

Duncan looked at Elisa and asked "What do you work as?"

Elisa replied "I don't really have a job; I just work part-time in various shops to earn money."

Duncan smiled and nodded slowly.

Elisa ate more of her salmon and in the meantime, Duncan drank his ale and gave a cold glare while thinking about 'him.' He then explained about what happened to his father after his disappearance from the family.

Duncan lifted his head and gave Elisa a serious look. "Elisa, I need to tell you something."

Elisa replied "Hmm?"

"It's about how my father left."

Elisa knew the situation was a serious matter and she was all ears.

She asked Duncan "Tell me what happened."

Duncan began to talk. "One night my father and mother were arguing…"

 _A flashback had occurred and it was before his father left his home. Duncan was a young boy at that time period and it occurred late at night._

 _It began with Sara saying "Duncan is your son, you can't just leave him."_

 _Duncan's father whispered "I know he's my son but I must leave, it's to protect him."_

 _"Do you know how he is going to feel when he grows up without a father? You need to think about the consequences."_

 _Duncan's father looked unwell and his face was discoloured, while his facial thread veins were purple. His eyes were coloured yellow and he looked like he hadn't slept for days. He was dying and he looked gravely ill._

 _Duncan's father narrowed his eyes and said "Listen my love, I'm dying sooner or later… and I need to solve this situation without getting all of you killed."_

 _Sara gave innocent eyes and shook her head. "You don't have to leave, there could be another way…"_

 _Duncan's father looked aside and said "There is no other way… not in my book."_

 _Sara got extremely infuriated by that response and pushed Duncan's father. She turned her back to Duncan's father in anger. "Leave if you have to go!"_

 _Duncan's father frown his face in guilt and said "Sara… I didn't mean…"_

 _Sara folded her arms sadly and said "I'm not angry at you… I'm angry about what is going to happen to my son. So… fine if you have to go, I will not stop you…"_

 _Duncan eventually woken up from upstairs and heard his parents arguing. Duncan approached the living room._

 _Duncan rubbed his eyes and asked "Mum, dad what is going on?"_

 _Sara and his father looked at each other briefly. Sara took her eyes off Duncan's father and she remained silent._

 _Duncan's father said to Duncan "I have to go."_

 _Duncan asked "Where?"_

 _Duncan's father answered "Away from here…"_

 _Duncan scratched his head and asked "Why?"_

 _Duncan's father began to panic and said "I can't explain everything but… there is something special you need to take."_

 _"What?"_

 _Duncan's father showed Duncan the armour that they both created. "It's my crafted masterpiece the Dragon Knight Armour and I would like you to have it."_

 _Duncan was confused and he asked "Why? That armour was for you."_

 _Duncan's father began to smile and rubbed Duncan's head with his palm gently. "It's yours now and… I was thankful for you being my assistant."_

 _Duncan was a bit depressed and he shook his head slowly "Father, I don't understand, you need to slow down… Why do you have to leave…? You could just stay here and keep doing your job as a blacksmith. More importantly, why do you look ill?"_

 _Duncan's father paused for a moment "You're just a child and I will explain everything later… If there is a 'later…'"_

 _Duncan's father began to depart and just before he left, he asked Duncan "Duncan one more thing… If I do not ever return, please protect the people close to you and make lots of friends. Don't ever let anyone take that armour, unless it's the people you trust, understand?"_

 _Duncan nodded and Duncan hugged his father tightly before he left. Duncan's father smiled briefly and rubbed his son's head gently with his palm._

 _Duncan asked "Please, come back soon."_

 _Duncan's father shook his head and said "I don't know if that will happen…"_

 _Duncan's father quickly turned his head around and said "I need to go… Take care of your mother. Just remember father loves you…"_

 _Duncan's father gave a glance look towards Sara and she was very unhappy. She remained silent and she didn't look back at him. She just continued folding her arms and guilt struck Duncan's father heavily. Duncan's father sighed and he left that night without saying a word. He walked outside in the dark night. Duncan's Father marched away from his house and abruptly vomited blood on the grass. Duncan peak out of the window as he departed and gave a sad face to the man. Duncan's Father used his strength to stand up slowly and wipe the blood from his mouth. He departed from that night._

 _Weeks later, a debt collector named Martin entered the family's house and gave a private discussion with Sara._

 _Sara protested and said "Do you know that money is not entering our family quick enough. Just give me more time and I will pay the debt."_

 _Martin shook his head and said "I'm sorry I can't help you. If you do not pay the landlord your debts, we have no choice but to extract you and your boy out of the house."_

 _Sara said "They can't do this! I have an eleven-year old boy in the house and his father left three weeks ago. He can't-"_

 _Martin cuts her off and said "Ma'am, I'm sorry… I'm just doing my job and I can't do anything about it."_

 _Martin paused for a bit and scratched his head. He said "I will return in a month's time and I hope we do not encounter this issue again."_

 _Martin approached to their door and opened it. Martin left their house and Sara sat down furiously on the chair. Sara rubbed her forehead and she looked sadly at her wedding ring on her finger and she sighed._

 _Duncan went downstairs to observe his mother and he asked "Mum is everything okay?"_

 _Sara gave a sad smile and rubbed Duncan's head sadly. She said "Don't worry sweetie everything is going to be okay…"_

 _Duncan anticipated his mother's face and said "You don't look so happy…"_

 _Sara nodded sadly and said "I know…"_

 _Sara wrapped her arm around Duncan and allowed him to rest his head on her._

 _Sara said sadly "I'm sorry Duncan…"_

 _Duncan asked "For what?"_

 _Sara replied "For everything…"_

Duncan finished his backstory and drank the rest of his ale. "Then he just left and never seeks to return. *Sigh* It was hard living with a single parent… and all those years was just darkness. The family was in poverty and my mother was constantly in debt. My mother and I are getting frustrated because of this situation and there is nothing we can do about it. My mother is just human and she is powerless."

Duncan lifted his head up and said "But… however, I ain't going to be complaining like a little toddler."

Elisa whispered "We are the same, you and I…"

Duncan raised his eyebrow and looked at Elisa. Then she explained and spoke in a softer tone. "We've both been through a tough childhood and we both grew up without having both parents. I lost my sister and you haven't seen your dad. This world is a cruel place but we need to be strong, you and me. I know we have just encountered each other but I'm glad to be your friend and I am thankful for you sharing your story with me."

Elisa smiled and touched Duncan's hand for a brief second. They both look at each other without saying a world. When Sara approached the living room, Duncan looked aside and took his hand away slowly.

Duncan lifted his hand up and said "Mum! You have missed the best bit. I was sharing my intriguing story about father with Elisa."

Elisa agreed "Yes, it was delightful to hear about his father."

Sara was satisfied from that answer and she folded her arms. "That is wonderful and I hope you didn't talk about weird stuff…"

Duncan was embarrassed and whispered "Mum…"

Sara sat on the chair and she rested her arms on the table.

Sara asked a completely irrelevant question "I know I am being a bit off, but you have lovely hair?"

Elisa furrowed her eyebrows and said "Uh… thanks."

Duncan displayed his cringe towards Sara's question. "Mum that is kind of a bizarre thing to ask a guest."

Sara squeezed her face due to intrigue. "I can't help it. Her long red hair is so beautiful Duncan."

Duncan frowned and said "Fair enough."

Duncan looked at Elisa and said "So you're telling me that you had that hair for years without it getting messy?"

Elisa played with her hair and answered "Of course it gets messy; my sister gave me clear instructions on how to do it."

Duncan rolled his eyes "I can't believe we are striking this conversation…"

Sara frowned with a smile and said "I believe you're the one who asked the question."

She apologized and said "I'm so sorry for being here for too long. It had been a wonderful evening with you two. Thank you for cooking us supper miss but my humble apologies I must go."

Sara never wanted Elisa to leave. She was kind enough to allow a friend to sleepover in their house.

Duncan had no problem with it and he said "Elisa, you can sleep here with us because we have an extra room for you upstairs."

Elisa waved both of her hands and said "No-no-no, you don't have to do that; I could just be on my way and rest up."

Duncan replied in a formal tone and raised one brown in question. "And where will you go? Going outside is basically a death sentence."

Elisa began to think about that and she was speechless "Uh… I don't know what to say… but you have my gratitude and I accept your offer."

Duncan got up from his chair and helped Elisa. "I will show you the room."

Duncan and Elisa went upstairs and Elisa went inside the room and observed the place a little.

She had a quick tour around and she said "This room looks average. I usually assume men bedrooms are messy most of the time… but this one is surprisingly clean."

Duncan replied "I haven't been here for three years but I still keep my bedroom tidy no matter what. That is why my mother hardly ever cleans my room due to it being so clean."

Elisa said "Understood."

Elisa sat down on Duncan's bed and bounced on to examine the fabric. Elisa gave a small smile and said "Hmph, it's comfortable."

Elisa remained silent for a brief second and said "Your mother is really nice."

"Occasionally, yes…"

Elisa stroked her hair and said "I feel sympathy for her."

Duncan frowned and asked "Why?"

Elisa looked down on the floor and folded her arms. "A woman like her did not deserve any of this. She needs to live in a happy life and her husband leaving her was just unfair."

Duncan concurred but reassured her. He said in a bitter tone "You're right about that… but that's just how life works."

Elisa sighed while she lowered her shoulders and looked down with silent.

Duncan changed the subject and said "Elisa, I need to go somewhere and I need your help… There is a place called Narfaldihr and it is a Dwarven Ruin that is located at the Dawnstar region. The environment is going to be cold and we must have a fur cloak equipped. We do not want to turn into a frost troll's next frozen meal; do we?"

Elisa said "Since I am a Nord I could easily adapt to the coldness, however you're a Breton and you can adapt only at a small degree."

Duncan answered "That is correct and there is something called the Map of Otrulag; it is forged by the Daedric Prince, Mehrunes Dagon. What we need to do is battle a bunch of his Daedric minions before we could retrieve the artifact. I have studied about the artifact and the possibility of its location. I know it sounds crazy but Elisa could you… please help me on this, as a friend?"

Elisa paused for a brief moment and sighed "Since you saved me from a bunch of thugs and help me delivered the letter to Ulfric… I will gladly accompany you."

Duncan was very satisfied by that response and he said "Thank you Elisa… Thank you so much."

Duncan said "We will be departing from sunrise."

Sara abruptly entered Duncan's room and asked "What are you two discuss about?"

Duncan jumped and yelled "Ah!"

Duncan wanted to lie but his was horrible at it. "I was… uh… talking about… mercenary work with Elisa… Oh what the hell… I am going to an ancient ruin with Elisa, to retrieve a Daedric artifact called the map of Otrulag and… I wanted to bring Elisa to my journey."

Sara folded her arms in disappointment and tsk. "Now you're trying to hide things from me."

Duncan scratched his head and said "I… didn't want you to be mad at me going to a dangerous journey with Elisa but when you think about it. I could just go by myself, if that sweetens the situation."

Sara gave a serious face and she said "Duncan… I love you so much as a son. As a mother, I would prevent you from entering a dangerous situation… But you have proof to me that you could survive."

Sara unfolded her arms and said "You can go… but under one condition…"

Duncan had an optimistic face when she said that but when she continued. Duncan softened his face and sighed.

Sara pointed at him with her index finger and said "You are not allowed to bring Elisa along with you. I'm I clear?"

Duncan concurred and said "You're right because I might end up getting her hurt within this situation."

Elisa protested "But I want to go because I said that I needed to return the favour for him helping me."

Sara sighed and said "Well I am not your mother… and I can't stop you. But try not to get yourself killed."

Elisa said "Thank you miss."

Duncan said "Anyway… We must get some rest because we have had a long day…"

Sara nodded and said "Yes, you are right and we need some rest before our days get worst."

Duncan nodded and said "Indeed, I will sleep on the couch."

Duncan went downstairs to the couch in the living room and rested. He took a blanket from the shed and lay down on the couch. Duncan took off his heavy armour and placed it beside the couch. He wrapped the blanket on himself and went to sleep slowly. Elisa went into Duncan's room and closed the door. Sara went towards her room and closed the windows to prevent the house from getting cold. Everybody slept that night and meanwhile Duncan was having a terrible nightmare about his father.

Into his fragile mind, his father said _"I'm disappointed Duncan…"_

Duncan asked _"Why?"_

Duncan's father disappeared without saying a word and Duncan was too feeble to wake up. Duncan muttered to himself _"Why do I continue…? Why I am so angry…? Why can't I stop…? Why can't I just continue my life…? Why do I search for him…? Isn't it going to cause more harm than good…? No…, I want to find him… No…, I must to find him! No…, I have to find him! He's my father and I love him… But is what I am doing is love or the exact opposite…?"_

Duncan immediately gasped and woke up. Duncan rubbed his eyes and looked around the room.

He saw Elisa approaching downstairs and asked "Why are you up so early? You should be at bed."

Elisa replied "You were making noise when you were sleeping."

Duncan shook his head and said "It's nothing."

Elisa gave a sad smile and said "Let me guess. You were having a bad dream about your father correct?"

Duncan was surprised and said "How did you know that?"

Elisa answered "I could hear you from upstairs."

Elisa walked downstairs and sat on the couch with Duncan. "Duncan, I can acknowledge what you have been going through."

Duncan remained silent and looked at Elisa with an innocent stare.

Elisa grabbed the cushion from the couch that Duncan was sitting on and wrapped her arms around it. "I get it. You are trying to find him because you are scarred within the inside. I felt that way too, when I lost my sister."

Duncan replied "I just want to resolve things… wouldn't you do the same thing?"

Elisa shook her head and responded "No, I moved passed it…"

"Look, I'm not like you Elisa. It is my fault for not prevented this downfall and I was… powerless to stop him…"

Elisa looked at him with a sad expression and said "You talk as if it's your fault."

Duncan looked aside and said "It is in a way. I failed to stop him."

Elisa began to hold Duncan's hand to comfort him and said "You couldn't do anything about it and I couldn't do anything about my sister. Remember somethings cannot be prevented because it happened for a reason, those reasons make us stronger each day."

Duncan began to be concealed in deep thought and said "Elisa, I really appreciate it that you are her to comfort me but I need to be alone…"

Elisa looked at Duncan with a sad expression "Okay… just call me if you need me."

Elisa left the living room and went back to bed. Duncan was left by himself and he eventually went to sleep.

The sun raised and the moon went down. Duncan and Elisa began to pack their things and prepare for the next journey that awaits them. Duncan and Elisa were ready to depart from his mother's home.

Duncan and his mother began to speak privately. "I'm sorry mum but I must go."

Sara was a bit unhappy "You're leaving so soon?"

"Yes and I must know what happened to my father."

Sara narrowed her eyes and said "I know that you're depressed that he left but do you think it is worth it?"

Duncan said "Maybe…"

Sara examined her wedding ring by looking at it closely and she straightened it. She replied "I heard you and Elisa talking about him…"

Duncan gave a more intent stare to his mother and she said "I know that you have been through a lot as a young boy and endured so much sadness. I don't want you to completely lose your mind over it."

Sara straightened up her ring and sighed with sadness. "I just want you to have the best future and it's hard in a world like this…"

Duncan nodded to display a strong understanding. Sara hugged Duncan passionately with a small smile.

As Sara was hugging him, she said "Please Duncan… You are the only person who is left in my life and I don't want to lose you. Please stay safe for me."

Sara kissed Duncan on the cheek and released him. Duncan nodded strongly and Duncan began to depart but Sara had one final thing she wanted to say. "Oh yeah, one more thing… That girl Elisa, she is very beautiful and you should take care of her."

Duncan replied "I will and she's a really good person. She had lost many people in her life…"

Sara reacted in hearted breaking way and she placed her hand on her heart. Sara said "Oh my gods who?"

"Her sister, father and mother… She has no family now and she had nobody to comfort her. I could be the only one who could take care of her..."

Sara sadly sighed and straightened her wedding ring. She said "Well, look on the bright side… I can tell she sees a lot in you Duncan and I think you're the only one who can be her best friend. She seems to have a lovely time with you and you should help keep it that way."

Sara began to smirk and poked her elbow on Duncan. "She might be perfect for you. You know what I am saying?"

Duncan gave a serious look and said "Mum…"

Sara crouched and burst into laughter. She pushed the left side of her hair to keep it out of her face. "Calm down, I was just messing with you."

Sara began to soften her face and looked Elisa while she was packing her things. "I could tell she has been through a lot and I wish the better for her."

Duncan agreed "I know."

Elisa approached Duncan and his mother and gave her gratitude. "Thank you, miss. I had a lonely time with you and please take care of yourself."

Sara was satisfied and said "I will and goodbye."

Duncan and Elisa both said simultaneously "Bye mum."

"Bye Madame."

Sara went inside her house and shut the door. Duncan and Elisa both departed and walk for a bit. Duncan opened the map of Skyrim and he examined the map for a bit. He spotted the location of Narfaldihr.

Duncan said "Elisa, the place we're going is going to be very cold. We should be prepared to depart in the middle of the wilderness."

Elisa nodded and said "Let's go."

Duncan and Elisa departed from his mother's house and headed to the Dawnstar region.


	3. Chapter II – Unravelling Secrets:

**Hey guys, I have posted more of my story. I hope you are really enjoying it and find the characters interesting. Please review this chapter because I can handle any sort of criticism. Also thank you** **ResistTheEmpire for your praise because I may write more. Thank you and enjoy.**

* * *

 **Chapter II – Unravelling Secrets:  
** _After three days later Duncan and Elisa were at the Dawnstar region to find the location called Narfaldihr. Duncan and Elisa must avoid hypothermia at all cost and find good source of shelter. Unfortunately, a blizzard struck that day and they struggled to progress through their journey. The blizzard blinded them and the snow's height matched their ankles. Their hair was covered in snow and condensation released from their mouths. The environment was foggy and white._

Elisa shielded her face with her arms and shouted "Duncan, it's too cold!"

Snow was splashing on Duncan's face frequently and Duncan yelled "We should stop and camp here!"

Duncan turned towards Elisa whilst his body was vibrating constantly. He protested "B-bad i-id-dea, the t-tent will not h-h-hold o-out the bli-blizzard."

Duncan opened the map of Skyrim and saw a mine called Stonehills near their location. They could travel to the place and find shelter, if anyone was kind enough to allow them in.

Duncan pointed at Stonehills on the map of Skyrim and said "T-there is a p-place called S-stonehills! A h-house t-that w-we could go in and take s-shelter!"

Elisa held her arms while her body vibrated and her bottom lip frequently shook. She asked desperately "W-where are w-we now?"

Duncan replied "N-not far from there, let's go!"

The blizzard was getting worst and Duncan and Elisa struggled walk. Duncan and Elisa both marched forcefully their journey to Stonehills.

Roughly forty minutes later through the harsh blizzard, they found Stonehills. Miners were working at the cold and they were freezing due to the cold environment. Elisa and Duncan went into Sorli's house and knocked on her door. Somebody opened the door and it was a man named Pactur.

Duncan stood there shivering in the cold atmosphere and asked "I-I'm s-sorry s-sir b-but w-we n-need to g-get into to y-your house because my friend and I are f-freezing."

Pactur anticipated their appearance and grabbed his chin. Pactur said "Hmm… You guys do not appear to be common bandits… I would gladly let you in."

Elisa and Duncan brightly smiled at each other and Duncan said "T-thank y-you so much."

Duncan and Elisa entered the house and the environment was warm. When the two entered the house, they hung their fur cloaks and sat down near the fire within the house. They were both relieved to feel the warm environment.

Duncan rubbed his hands near the fireplace and said in a relieved tone "Ahh… Warmth."

Sorli looked at Duncan and Elisa and said "You two must be freezing."

Duncan gave a small glare and whispered "No shit…"

"I will make tea for you guys."

Elisa held her shoulders and said "Thank you."

Moments later, Sorli made tea for Duncan and Elisa and placed them on the table. Duncan and Elisa went to their sits and sat down. They grabbed the cups of tea and drank it quickly.

Elisa burned her tongue due to the tea's temperature and said "Ow…"

Duncan said "Maybe we should wait until it cools down."

Pactur sat down on chair and asked "Why are you two out here in the freezing cold?"

Duncan replied "My friend and I wanted to go to a place near Dawnstar. Abruptly a blizzard struck and it was harder to progress."

Pactur nodded his head and said "Aye… My men have to work in a stressful environment due to the cold. It was not easily for them because they suffer from various types of illness such as frostbites and raynaud syndrome. There have been many complaints about the working environment and we do not have enough money to arrange an appointment with the healers."

Elisa asked "How do your men work for many hours in the freezing cold?"

Pactur shook his head and said "I don't know…"

Duncan asked "Where do your men sleep?"

Sorli answered "They camp outside believe it or not. They do not have decent shelter to rest in because we do not have enough coin to own an entire bunkhouse."

Duncan drank his tea and asked "How much do you even receive?"

Pactur sighed and replied "Little pay due to the civil war. Ever since the General Tullius is battling Ulfric Stormcloak, the total economy of Skyrim has decreased drastically. People are not receiving decent pay in their occupation."

Duncan said "Ulfric Stormcloak wants to arrive at Helgen to rescue Raloaf."

Pactur scratched his chin and asked "Is that so? How do you know that?"

Duncan replied "My friend and I visited him and gave him a letter from a Stormcloak spy."

Pactur asked "Do you support the Stormcloaks?"

Duncan answered in a firm tone "No, we do not support anyone."

Elisa asked "Who do you support?"

Pactur stood up from his sit and said loudly in a mighty tone "Ulfric Stormcloak of course! He is the reason why Skyrim is still stable. He is fighting for our land or people."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said in a serious tone "Are you sure? The amount soldiers are being killed, innocents being murdered and people being forced into poverty; is it worth all that for chasing one thing? What this war has done is made our lives harder."

Pactur said "Well… when you put it that way…" Pactur remained silent and scratched his head.

Pactur sighed and said "Well, Ulfric Stormcloak has the purest intentions."

Duncan frowned with one brow and asked "But would it guarantee a good outcome?"

Elisa grabbed Duncan's arms slowly to refrain him from speaking too much.

Duncan rubbed the back of his head and said "I got a little carried away…"

Elisa said "Anyway… I want to discuss about this family and what has been happening around here?"

Pactur scratched his head and replied "How do I start…? Well, I own this mine and it is the very business that is helping me survive within Skyrim. I live with my wife and son but we have not been receiving much pay."

Pactur sighed and said "Things are tough nowadays…"

Duncan frowned with one brow and Elisa asked "How long would the blizzard last?"

Sorli rested her arms on the table and said sadly "Only the gods knows… It had been happening for three days straight and we do not have enough supplies to travel to another location for workers."

Duncan said "The blizzard should be concluding tomorrow and I think we could survive for this evening."

Pactur asked "Do you two have a tent that you could sleep in?"

Elisa nodded and said "Yes we do and we were planning on sleeping outside."

Sorli protested "I do not recommend that you should sleep outside because you can rest your feet within the mines. However, the temperature is low and you will be cold."

Duncan raised his right hand up and said "That will be fine."

Pactur curled his lips and scratched his chin due to him revealing about bad news. "You could sleep there but… I guarantee that my workers will not grant you a satisfying rest."

Elisa smiled and pushed her hair aside. "I think we could manage."

Evening came and the blizzard was toning down slightly. Duncan and Elisa walked towards the Rockwallow Mine and eventually encountered a guard named Ranvir that stood outside the blizzard.

When they approached Ranvir, he muttered under his breath and shivered. "I'm so damn cold that my bollocks will freeze off… They don't pay me enough for this…"

Ranvir saw Duncan and Elisa approaching him and he said "Wait you're not allowed in here without the permission of Pactur."

Duncan tried to persuade Ranvir and he said "Don't worry; we recently had a conversation with him. He allowed us to enter the mine."

Ranvir shook his head and said "Sorry, I can't let you in until I hear the boss say it himself."

Elisa stepped up and said sweetly "Please let us in because my friend and I are freezing out here in the cold."

Ranvir saw the beautiful lass approached him and blushed immediately. He was smitten by her beautiful appearance and struggled to talk to her.

His body felt hot and he said nervously "O-of course m-my beautiful, lady… right this way. Somebody like you should not be out here in the cold."

Elisa kissed the guard's cheek and said "Thank you."

The guard blushed even more and smiled happily. Duncan smiled at Elisa and they both went in.

Duncan smiled and said "Wow… You really know how to bring attraction to men."

Elisa smiled and whipped her hair back. "Thanks, I admire those words."

Duncan chuckled and entered inside the mine. The miners were working in the freezing environment; they frequently shivered and rubbed their hands together.

Jesper was inside his sleeping bag. He complained and said "Jeez, I'm so cold that my shit will turn frozen when I use the bathroom."

Swanhvir whispered "You need to get back to work or the manager will fire you. You don't want that do you?"

Jesper scratched his head due to frustration and said "Yeah, yeah…"

Jesper got out of his sleeping bag and grabbed the pickaxe. Jesper repeated the method of mining, hitting the ore vein back and forth constantly like a robot.

Gestur Rockbreaker saw Duncan and Elisa within the mine and asked "What are you two doing here? Are you here to be employed within this mine?"

Duncan replied "No we came to sleep within the mine. The blizzard is too strong for us to handle but nevertheless, we have received permission from the boss himself, Pactur."

Gestur folded his arms and raised one brow. "Are you sure?"

Elisa said "There is a blizzard outside and we are freezing. If we weren't allowed in here, the guard who is standing where the entrance is would have kept us outside in the freezing cold."

Gestur said "You do indeed have a valid point… so I will gladly give you permission. However, in one condition you are not allowed to disturbed my workers, got it?"

Elisa said "We won't and thank you."

Duncan and Elisa set up the campsite and created a campfire. The fire was melting the icy floor within the mines and water was frequently hitting Duncan and Elisa's feet's. Duncan placed his hands near the campfire and discussed about the two's future plans.

Duncan opened the map of Skyrim and said "Elisa, we are near the location of the-"

Duncan realized what Elisa was doing while he was speaking. Duncan approached Elisa and she was drawing something special.

Duncan asked "What are you doing?"

Elisa continued to draw and replied sadly "I am drawing a grave of my friend."

Duncan predicted "Archer?"

Elisa nodded sadly as she continued to use a twig to draw a cross on the fresh snow.

She spoke sadly while she looked at the fire "Archer was a good friend of mine and he took care of me, taught me how to fight... However, he was a soldier and many soldiers die within war. It's like a phrase 'Soldiers were born to die for their country…' That is not how somebody's life should be like and we were in a very good relationship…"

Duncan gave a sad look and he remained silent. Elisa continued "He saved my life from a certain 'someone'."

Duncan gave a sad expression and asked "Who is this 'someone'?"

Elisa gave a sad expression and remained silent; she used her twig to play with the campfire while conceal in deep thought.

Duncan exhaled on his palms then rubbed them together to heat his hands. "I can tell it was very frightening. There is always something that we are afraid of and we choose not to share it."

Elisa nodded and she continued to play with her twig. Duncan said "We've both been through a dark past and you want to search for something happy in your life. *Sigh* I don't know how long that would be but I know it's very difficult."

Duncan gave a firm look to Elisa and said "You need to stay close to me because there is something waiting to kill you within Skyrim. I've been through that with my dad."

Elisa nodded and Duncan said "Anyway we should have some sleep because… you understand the situation."

Duncan and Elisa slept that night but it was difficult for them to sleep peacefully due to the sounds of the pickaxes echoing. Duncan kept twitching his eyes each time the mines used their pickaxes and Elisa ignored it.

The morning came and two had woken up from there terrible sleep. Duncan was very exhausted due to the miners keeping the two up all day. Elisa made breakfast for Duncan and Duncan mumbled to himself "I had a shitty night…"

Elisa looked at Duncan while he was getting up. "I've made soup… You should drink to rejuvenate your strength."

Duncan nodded and said "Thank you Elisa."

Elisa gave Duncan the vegetable soup and when he grabbed the soup, the soup felt warm on Duncan's palms. He used the spoon he found from his backpack and used it to drink the soup. The soup that Elisa made, gave a delightful flavour and Duncan was very impressed by Elisa's cooking skills.

Gestur approached Duncan and Elisa and said "You two, I have good news."

Elisa asked "What?"

Gestur replied "The snowy storm has ended last night. You are free to head outside as you wish but bear in mind that the blizzard can strike anytime."

Duncan turned towards Elisa and said "Elisa that means we can head to our destination without a hassle."

Elisa smiled and said "We should get going now."

Elisa said to Gestur "Thank you Mr…"

Gestur introduced his name and said "Gestur, just call me Gestur."

Duncan said "Thank you Gestur, we will be departing right away."

Elisa and Duncan left the Rockwallow mine and journeyed to their destination Narfaldihr.

When they arrived to location, Duncan said "Wait Elisa. We're here."

Elisa pointed at the front door of Narfaldihr and said "Look! There's the front entrance, we must continue with caution because Dwarven ruins are filled with killer robots and booby traps."

Duncan nodded and said "Mmm… I agree."

Duncan and Elisa approached the large front door of Narfaldihr and Duncan used his strength to open one of the huge doors of Narfaldihr.

Duncan said "Elisa, get in."

Elisa nodded and entered within the ruins. Elisa held the door open for Duncan so that he could enter.

Duncan turned towards Elisa and said "Thanks."

Duncan removed the cobwebs from his hair and said "Argh! Nasty…"

Duncan shook his head due to bewilderment and said "Why the hell would they leave an abandon ruin's front door open?"

Elisa suggested "Maybe they forgot to lock the door?"

"Presumably they didn't have enough manpower to craft a decent security or they are supremely brain dead."

The two looked at the dark hollowness within the ruins and heard a dripping sound of the ancient water.

Duncan said "Elisa you go first."

Elisa asked "Why?"

Duncan wiped his nose with his index finger and smirked. "Because you are a lady."

Elisa glared at Duncan and said "Argh. You are ridiculous."

 _Duncan gave a small chuckle and Elisa opened the door slowly. When she had entered, she saw that there was nothing occupying the empty space. Duncan and Elisa entered inside and heard nothing but the construction site producing steam and the howling wind outside. Duncan brought a torch out of his backpack and used the flame spell to ignite the torch. The Dwarven ruin was quiet, dark and noiseless. All you could hear was the echoing of your voice and footsteps. The place was filled with cobwebs, dust and mould on the old walls. There was no light source, no electricity, just steam releasing out of the metals._

When Duncan ignited the torch, Elisa chuckled and said "Don't burn me with that thing okay?"

Duncan said "I won't."

Duncan Elisa continued to walk and Elisa swift her head left and right quickly while holding her arms together in fear. "Duncan… I'm scared."

Duncan frown with one brow and asked "Are you really?"

Elisa replied "Nope… I usually headed in caves without anyone accompanying me. Nevertheless I'm not usually scared shitless."

Duncan said "That is a good thing because we are going to face dangerous threat. Don't forget the ugly creatures lingering here…"

Duncan saw the sad expression on Elisa's face and Duncan stopped talking immediately.

He realized what he was saying and said "I'm so stupid… I didn't mean to…"

Elisa said in a disheartening tone "Don't worry… It's okay…"

Duncan nodded his head slowly and said "Right…"

They continued heading into the ruin and they encountered a Dwarven armour set.

Elisa pointed at the armour and said with ecstasy "Duncan… Duncan… Look!"

Duncan turned his head and said "What?"

Elisa approached the armour and inspected it carefully by touching it.

Elisa explained about the armour to Duncan "This is the Dwarven Armour created by the Dwarves themselves. This armour was used all over Morrowind before the Dwemer race was extinct."

Elisa happily put on the helmet and asked "Duncan what do I look like?"

Duncan smiled and said "An old man who is missing teeth and eyes and gazing at a pair of women revealing their breasts."

Elisa laughed and used both of her fingers to point at the Dwarven helmet's nose. "Don't forget the nose."

Duncan chuckled "You really know how to make somebody laugh. Anyway… spare the juvenility for later. We must to retrieve the map of Otrulag or the entire journey was pointless.

Elisa played with her hair and asked "Should we retrieve the armour to fare a decent price?"

Duncan nodded and said "I believe that is a good idea."

Elisa tried to lift the Dwarven Armour but it was too heavy for her to lift. Elisa tried her hardest to lift the armour and she began to pant quickly due to the number of attempts. Elisa then wiped the sweat from her forehead and placed her hands on her hips. She curled her lips and looked at the armour in annoyance. Duncan began to smirk and covered his face due to embarrassment.

Elisa looked at Duncan and threw her arms down. She got infuriated and blushed due to embarrassment "Wipe that smirk of your face!"

Duncan chuckled and said "Let me do it."

Duncan packed up the armour without a hassle and put it within the backpack.

Duncan said "This should come useful in the future."

Elisa nodded and they resumed their journey through the ruin. Elisa smiled happily and hummed to herself due to optimism throughout the journey.

Duncan turned to Elisa and widened his eyes. He pointed and shouted "Elisa look out!"

Elisa said "Huh?" She saw the Dwarven Sphere behind her and she got attacked from the behind. The Dwarven Sphere scraped her Ebony Armour. Elisa fell on the ground and the dust recoiled from her impact on the floor. Duncan drew his swords and Duncan charged at the Dwarven Sphere. Duncan swung two blows on the Dwarven Sphere but the Dwarven Sphere parried Duncan's attack. Duncan rotated 360o and used a heavy attack on the Dwarven Sphere. The attack caused the Dwarven Sphere to lose its head and the head flew to another place. The Dwarven Sphere fell on the ground and sparks went flying out of it.

Duncan got abruptly shot by a bolt from the behind and he grunted in pain.

Duncan ripped the bolt out of his shoulder and Elisa stood up quickly. Elisa drew her weapons out and charged towards the Dwarven Sphere. The Dwarven Sphere fired another bolt at Elisa but she used her shield to block the attack. Elisa sprinted and the Dwarven Sphere tried to swing at Elisa but she slid on the floor to avoid the Sphere's attack. She jumped on the Dwarven Sphere's back and impaled its head. When Elisa impaled its head, she dug the sword deeper into the Sphere's circuits and used brute floor to rip its head out of its body. The Dwarven Sphere fell on to the ground and exploded, causing sparks fly out.

Duncan said "Nice!"

A Dwarven Spider abruptly appeared on Duncan's back and Duncan used his hand to throw it on the ground with great strength. Duncan used his blade to impale the Dwarven Spider and it exploded. Duncan got hit by the electricity but due to his strong armour, it did not affect him that much.

Duncan was panting due to exhaustion and Duncan said to Elisa "You… did well."

Elisa lifted her head up and smiled. "Thanks…"

Duncan said "We should continue our journey."

Elisa nodded and said "Agreed…"

Duncan and Elisa continued to walk their journey. Duncan observed the ruins and he asked "I don't understand… We are within the 4th era of a land that never runs on electricity and the Dwarves can create such craftsmanship. I mean they can create an electronic without somebody operating it and more importantly the robots have unlimited battery. Wouldn't it run out all these years? Why the hell can't we make stuff like lightbulbs and electronic ovens for us? It would make our lives easier."

Elisa gave the thinking pose and agreed with Duncan's statement. "You do strike a valid point but hey, we do not have the supreme knowledge like the Dwarves do."

Duncan and Elisa eventually discovered a corpse on the ground. The corpse smelt revolting and Elisa pinched her nose with her thumb and index finger to avoid the horrible stench.

Elisa said in disgust "Gods… what is that smell?"

It revealed to be a man who was wearing blue robes with a hood. He appeared to be a Redguard, a race that is from a place called Hammerfell. His body was lying on the floor and he was severed in half. The man's intestines were hanging out of his stomach due to the attack. There was loads of blood on the floor as if a man was wiping the floor with a mop. His eyes were pale and dry. Flies were hovering over the man's corpse and Elisa covered her mouth in disgust.

Elisa looked at the corpse and asked "Fuck… What happened to him?"

Duncan crouched on the floor and inspected the man's corpse.

Duncan said "His body was mutilated… by something dangerous."

Duncan inspected the blood on floor and swiped it with his index finger.

He examined the blood and said "The blood is still fresh… This man was killed recently and I believe he was travelling alone."

Elisa inspected the appearance of the Redguard's clothes and said "He looks like a research worker within the mine."

Duncan stood up and said "That is very true… I believe this man was defenceless and he did not have any weapons equipped with him. The poor man… he wasn't aware of what danger awaits ahead of him."

Elisa grabbed her chin and said "I believe it was the mechanisms that murdered this Redguard. You never know in these ruins. The are programmed without anyone activating them and the batteries of the Dwarvens mechanisms are very long lasting…"

Duncan concurred "That is very true. These people need to be aware of the ruins more. However, we are still trying to gain more knowledge about the Dwarves."

Elisa and Duncan entered further into the ruins and encountered a Dwarven Centurion but the Centurion was not activated; he was there as a declaration.

Elisa demonstrated the Dwarven Centurion and said "Duncan, this is the Dwarven Centurion. This is a very large robot that was built a century ago by the Dwarves. It is considered very deadly and dangerous. Also this robot is equipped with Dwarven battle-axe and greatsword. If you ever encounter them, please proceed with caution."

Duncan nodded and said "This robot runs exclusively on steam and electricity."

Elisa asked "Where do the Dwarves get the knowledge of crafting such a thing?"

Duncan folded his arms and said "We humans are naïve to most things that exist to us."

Dwarven Centurion had activated due to Elisa and Duncan's presences. Steam was released from the Centurion's pipes and Elisa quickly stepped back and gasped. Duncan and Elisa were alerted and drew their swords quickly. Duncan drank a potion that enhanced his armour and strength.

Duncan shivered due to the taste and mumbled "I hate drinking potion…"

Elisa drank the Elixir of Destruction and the Dwarven Centurion was approaching Elisa slowly with his two heavy metallic boots. He used a mighty swing with his blade to attack Elisa but due to the slowness of the attack, Elisa effortlessly dodged it. Elisa slid under its legs and used her sword to slice the Centurion on the leg. She managed to scrape the Dwarven Centurion on the leg and Duncan used multiple swings on the Dwarven Centurion. The Centurion attempted to attack Duncan but he missed.

Duncan yelled "Its attacks are very sluggish!"

Elisa got an idea and shouted "Duncan use the Wall of Flame spell!"

Duncan asked "Why!?"

Elisa replied "Just do it!"

Duncan nodded and combined both of his hand to create the Wall of Flame spell. Elisa did the same exactly thing but she used the Wall of Frost. They both combined their magic together and the Centurion fell down on the floor. The Centurion couldn't maintain the attack any longer, so it fell down and exploded.

Duncan and Elisa were panting and Duncan asked "How did you…?"

Elisa explained and said "I studied chemistry. I figured out when fire combines with frost, it melts into water. When water makes contact with electricity or any electrical devices, it causes them to dysfunction."

Duncan complimented Elisa and widened his eyes while blinking frequently. "You… really are a genius."

Elisa smiled and said "Thank you, I really appreciate those compliments."

Duncan was bewildered for a minute and said "Wait… Skyrim never runs on electricity… So how would you know…?"

Elisa said "It was stated by the scientist of the Dwemer research. They tested the experiment on the Dwarven mechanisms. I just managed to retrieve the book they published."

Duncan looked aside and said "That explains a lot…"

Duncan and Elisa headed further within the mine and spotted the map of Otrulag floating within the air.

Duncan said "It's right there but I do not trust things that are out there as the bait."

Elisa grinned and waved her hands to tease Duncan. "Because of traps, nets and giant robots..."

Duncan nodded and Elisa spotted a pressure plate within the floor. Elisa stepped over the pressure plate and tried to grab the map of Otrulag. Spikes abruptly struck Elisa and the spike did a near-miss with Elisa's nose. However, it managed to cut Elisa nose and cause her nose to bleed. Blood dripping from her nose and she covered it to stop the bleeding.

Duncan widened his eyes and asked "Are you okay!?"

Elisa said "I'm fine! I just manage to cut my nose."

Mehrunes Dagon, the Daedric prince said in an intimidating tone "YOU THINK YOU'LL RETRIEVE MY MAP SO EASILY!? YOU MUST PROVE YOUR STRENGTH AND COURAGE TO OBTAIN SUCH MASTERPIECE!"

Duncan looked left and right to wonder where the noise came from. He yelled "We are going to retrieve that map whether you like it or not!"

Mehrunes Dagon sneered and laughed in a threatening way "HAHAHAHAHAHA! IS THAT SO MORTAL!? SUCH ARROGANCE! DO YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE TALKING TO!? MEHRUNES DAGON, THE DAEDRIC PRINCE OF DESTRUCTION, VIOLENT UPHEAVAL, ENERGY, AND MORTAL AMBITION. YOU ARE JUST AN INSECT IN COMPARISION TO ME."

Mehrunes Dagon continued "HEHEHE… BEFORE, YOU CAN PROCEED. YOU AND YOUR COMRADE WILL FACE MY GREATEST CHAMPION! VERGOS!"

Vergos appeared from a portal that Mehrunes Dagon had summoned. He was 6'4 tall and his body was larger than an average man. He had a dark red aura within his armour and it was threatening. He was wielding the Daedric Greatsword and he had glowing bloody red eyes. He wore the full Daedric Armour set and he laughed from the distance.

Vergos said in a deep voice "I cannot believe these two are here to challenge me. I will have each one of your heads and display it as a trophy."

Duncan glared at Vergos and said "We will see about that…"

Duncan and Elisa drew their weapons and tried to battle Vergos.

Elisa gave a glance look and said "Duncan be careful."

Duncan charged at Vergos and used very quick swings to strike Vergos but Vergos blocked all of Duncan's attack. Vergos grabbed Duncan by the throat and toss him away. Duncan went crashing on the floor. Duncan held his head and groaned for a brief moment. Vergos teleported towards Duncan and tried to impale him. Duncan evaded the attack by rolling on the floor. Elisa sprinted towards Vergos and used quick slashes. Vergos used his greatsword to parry her attacks. Elisa slid under Vergos' legs and impaled him on the back. Vergos turned around and pulled Elisa's blade out of his back. He used brute force to snap Elisa's blade with his hands. Elisa gasped and stepped back a little. Vergos used his Greatsword to cut Elisa's stomach but her strong armour helped her to protect the attack. She rolled on the floor and she touched her stomach. Elisa stomach was cut and blood was dripping on the floor. Elisa used the Grand Healing spell to mend the wounds on her stomach. Duncan used his Wall of Flame spell to damage Vergos but Vergos had immense magic resistance thus making Duncan's magic ineffective. He approached Duncan quickly and he kicked him away. While Duncan was on the ground in pain and he held his stomach. Vergos approached him and impaled his palm. Duncan screamed in pain and Vergos impaled the blade deeper within Duncan's palm. Duncan used the spell Flame Cloak to protect himself and Vergos jumped back and retreated away from Duncan.

Duncan sprinted towards Elisa and said "Shit… I believe we should strike together Elisa."

Vergos laughed in a low and threatening voice "MUHAHAHAHA! You were foolish step here. You incompetent fools should regret the decision you have made."

Duncan whispered while he glared "Yeah go fuck yourself…"

Elisa looked at Duncan and said "He can easily overwhelm us when we are apart but… not together."

Duncan used the spells Ebonyflesh and Flame Cloak. Elisa approached Vergos and used the Wall of Sparks to damage Vergos. Vergos slowly went on his knees and eventually stood up like a knight. Vergos quickly approached Elisa and used great strength to smacked Elisa away by using his back hand. Elisa went crashing and rolling floor, while Duncan sprinted towards Vergos and cut his stomach. Vergos ignored the pain and Vergos used multiple swings to attack Duncan but Duncan dodged most of it. Duncan and Vergos clashed their blades. They both had a struggle but Duncan used all of his energy to knock Vergos' weapon away. Vergos looked as his sword went flying away and looked back at Duncan. Duncan impaled his blade very deep within Vergos' stomach and Vergos yelled in pain. Duncan used all of his strength and power to penetrate Vergos' armour. Vergos panted and grunted in pain while Duncan dug his sword within Vergos deeper. Vergos then delivered a right hook on Duncan's cheek. Vergos used teleportation to retreat. Duncan stood up and spat blood out on the floor. Duncan sprinted towards Elisa and helped her up. Elisa was holding her head due to the attack and Vergos stood there wounded.

Elisa's face was bruised from Vergos' attack and she asked "Where is he…?"

Blood was pouring out of Vergos' stomach and Vergos held his stomach due to the pain that Duncan inflicted upon. His arms were shaking and he struggled to lift his greatsword. Vergos approached Duncan and Elisa slowly while grievously wounded.

Duncan saw the poor Daedra wounded and said in an exhausted tone "Vergos give up… Your wounds need healing… You can't fight for much longer."

Vergos protested and said in a loud voice "Silence! You dare talk as if we are friends, mortal!? I am the champion of Mehrunes Dagon and I will not disobey him!"

Duncan said in a firm tone "So you are just going to give up your life for something so little?"

Vergos shouted "So little…!? We are Daedra! We are monsters! Tools for our princes and we fight till the very end. You think you have the authority to change the way I think mortal!? You ignorant little shit!"

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "Look at yourself! This fighting is very pointless! What happens when you die, huh? You'll receive a small amount of satisfaction but in the end… You died for nothing."

Vergos protested once again and said "Don't you get it fool!? We fight to become stronger! We fight to earn gold! We kill for fame, gold, power, glory and honour… that are the true nature of mankind. And if you think that you can work out of here alive! You-"

Mehrunes Dagon refrained from Vergos speaking too much and said "VERGOS THAT IS ENOUGH FOR NOW…"

Vergos objected and said "My lord…"

Mehrunes Dagon said in a bored tone "THESE PEOPLE ARE WALKING OUT HERE ALIVE WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. *SIGH* LOOKS LIKE I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO GRANT THEM THE SACRED MAP OF OTRULAG."

Elisa held her head and she said "Thank you Mehrunes Dagon."

Mehrunes Dagon said to Vergos "VERGOS YOU ARE DISMISSED. PLEASE RETURN TO YOUR POST."

Vergos nodded and said "Very well…"

Mehrunes summoned a portal and Vergos walked into it and teleported back to Oblivion.

Mehrunes Dagon said to Duncan and Elisa "SO MORTAL... SEEMS LIKE YOU HAVE GRANTED ME MY SATISFACTION… MOST WARRIORS WOULD HAVE KILLED MY CHAMPION TO BECOME THE NEW SUCCESSOR DUE TO THE POWER HUNGRY BASTARDS THEY ARE. HOWEVER, YOU TWO SURPRISINGLY DIDN'T CHOOSE VIOLENCE TO SOLVE THE SITUATION…, YOU CHOSE MERCY. YOU TRIED TO CONVINCE MY CHAMPION TO STOP BATTLING DUE TO HIS FATAL WOUNDS AND I WAS AMAZED THAT YOU DID THAT. YOU PEOPLE SEEM TO BE DIFFERENT AFTER ALL AND I LIKE TO SEE A DIFFERENT SHOW ONCE IN A WHILE... SO, I DECIDED TO GRANT THE MAP OF OTRULAG TO BE IN YOUR POSSESSION. NOT FOR COURAGE OR VIGOUR BUT CLEMENCY."

Duncan approached the map of Otrulag and inspected it.

Mehrunes Dagon said "THIS MAP CAN GRANT YOU ANY LOCATION THAT YOU DESIRE THE MOST."

Duncan retrieved it successfully and said "Thank you for the map but we must go."

Mehrunes Dagon said "WAIT BEFORE YOU GO… OTRULAG IS CODED IN ANCIENT FALMAR LANGUAGE SO THAT PEOPLE WILL NOT ACCESS THE MAP SO EASILY. THERE WERE TOO MANY INTERESTING LANGUAGES FOR ME TO CHOOSE, SO I DECIDED TO PICK THIS SPECIFIC ONE AT RANDOM. YOU MUST VISIT SOMEBODY WHO HAD BEEN STUDYING THE FALMAR RACE TO DECIPHER IT."

Duncan said "Thank you Mehrunes Dagon."

Mehrunes Dagon spoke in a devious way "I MIGHT BE SEEING YOU AGAIN MORTAL… HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Mehrunes Dagon went laughing maniacally and his voice started to fade away.

Duncan said to Elisa "Elisa let's get out of here before we encounter more enemies."

Elisa nodded her head and said "Agreed…"

Duncan and Elisa walked slowly out of the mine and Duncan saw his palm bleeding.

Blood was dripping from Duncan's palm and Duncan looked at his bloody palm.

Elisa saw his palm bleeding and said "Let me have a look…"

Duncan said "No don't worry I have the Close Wound spell to treat the wound."

Duncan used his Close Wound spell to mend the wound that Vergos gave him. The wound was healed and it disappeared as if it had never happened in the first place.

Elisa placed her hands behind her back and said "That was some tough adventure that we have been through… So Duncan what is our next plan?"

Duncan replied "We are going to Markarth to visit Calcelmo. He an expert at studying the Falmar race and I believe that he is the only one who can decipher the code of Otrulag."

Elisa sighed and said "I wish I could be of help but I do not know about the Falmer language."

Duncan said "Well that means Calcelmo is our best bet."


	4. Chapter III – Hey! Have some Fun!:

**Author's note: Guys, I'm back with another new chapter. I know not much people are looking at this but I appreciate that some of you are. You could write a review or message me about this story because that can help me improve on it. I hope you guys enjoy it.**

* * *

 **Chapter III – Hey! Have some Fun!**  
 _Three days later, Duncan and Elisa travelled to Whiterun to meet the carriage, Bjorlam. They stumbled by the carriage and asked if Bjorlam could transport them to Markarth. Bjorlam happily agreed and let the two on. After a few hours later, they arrived near to Markarth and Duncan and Elisa got off the carriage. The sun was setting and the sky was orange._

Elisa was shocked to see Markarth in first sight and said "Wow…"

She said in an amazed tone "This is Markarth?"

Duncan replied "Have you ever been here before?"

Elisa replied "No, this is my first time to come here. It looks so beautiful like a metallic future estate."

Duncan smiled and folded his arms. "Heh. Of course it does."

Before they could proceed to Markarth, they abruptly heard a voice from a distance yelling "Help!" It revealed to be a young Redguard miner named Rosy who was roughly in her early thirties. Duncan and Elisa immediately turned around and saw the woman running towards them. The man in the carriage remained silent and he knew it was not his business to interfere.

Rosy was out of breath and she was panting. "Sir…, please…"

Duncan replied "Hold on, catch your breath. Tell me what happened?"

Rosy said "Forsworn Looters within Karthwasten. The village is located north-east of Markarth. I believe the easiest way to get there is to take the main road. Please hurry."

Elisa nodded firmly and said "Okay, we will be there as quickly as possible."

Rosy said "Thank you…"

Duncan turn to Elisa and said "Elisa, we must make haste."

Elisa nodded and they departed quickly. Duncan and Elisa sprinted as fast as they could and Elisa yelled "Who are the Forsworn!?"

Duncan explained "A group of rebels who wish to drive both Stormcloaks and the Empire out of the Reach! They are Bretons, who are my race; most of them are assholes to obtain power."

Elisa asked "Why do they terrorise innocent people who are not with the Stormcloaks and the Empire?"

Duncan replied "I don't know and their motives are ambiguous."

Time passed and Duncan and Elisa arrived at Karthwasten village where the miners are. The Forsworns were threatening the villagers. The Forsworn Leader stomped on one of the villagers' back with his foot and he prepared to severe the man's head with an axe. He threatened if anybody approached him or try any clever tactics, the hostage will die.

The Forsworn Leader shouted "This village is ours! Skyrim belongs to the Forsworns and only the Forsworns!"

Enmon, the miner went on knees and clenched his hands together to plead the Forsworn Leader. "Please, we will give you our gold, food and medicine if you leave us alone."

The Forsworn Leader shouted "You don't get it! We are not here for ye money; we are here for ye village. If you do not act now, this person is losing his head."

Duncan appeared abruptly behind the Forsworn Leader's back and Duncan slowly approached him.

One of the Forsworn turned around and said "This doesn't concern you and I suggest you leave or things will get bloody."

Duncan said in an intimidating tone "I see many idiots who I want dead right now and if they do not leave, I will fucking make them regret it."

The Forsworn Leader gave a bewildered face and said "Sod off, mate! You are seriously threating us? Don't you see we overwhelm ye! There is only one of you and seven of us."

Elisa appeared and intervened within the situation. "That makes two of us."

The Forsworn leader said "No matter, we'll still kill ye and display your cocks on our wall!"

Another Forsworn said "But mate, one of them is a woman."

The Forsworn's Leader stuttered due to embarrassment "Uh… N-n-never mind j-just kill them."

Duncan sighed "We tried to go through the subtle method…"

Elisa asked "So Duncan, who should go first?"

Duncan replied "You be guest my lady."

Elisa chuckled and said "My pleasure."

A Forsworn charged at Elisa with his two swords and Elisa used her shield to block the Forsworn's multiple strike. The Forsworn smiled while sticking his tongue and said "Your arse cheeks are mine!"

Elisa was grossed by that response and screwed her face due to cringe. She said "Ewww…"

Another Forsworn in the meantime tried to attack Duncan but Duncan countered him and kicked his stomach, caused him to go off balanced. While the Forsworn was staggered, Duncan then severed his arm; the Forsworn fell on the ground and screamed in pain and torment.

The Forsworn cried and yelled in a high-pitched tone "Ah shit! You fucking cocksucker! You severed my bloody arm!" Duncan approached the Forsworn that got his arm severed and gave a quick cry before Duncan impaled him within the floor.

A Forsworn from the distance shouted with supreme rage "You've killed my best friend! I will carve your skin motherfucker!"

The Forsworn sprinted towards Duncan's back but Duncan effortlessly countered him by parrying him. When the Forsworn was knocked of balanced, Duncan sweep kicked the Forsworn thus knocking him into the ground. Duncan impaled the Forsworn with his two swords. Elisa stabbed the Forsworn that attacked her earlier on the leg. The Forsworn fell onto his knees and widened his eyes when Elisa was prepared to impale him.

He yelled "Shit!" Elisa impaled him by the throat.

In the meantime, Duncan used his Wall of Flames spell to burn the Forsworn to ashes. The Forsworn was on fire and he went screaming and flailing his arms in the air. While the Forsworn was ignited, Duncan used his crossbow to shoot a bolt at his head.

The Forsworn Leader yelled from the distance while wagging his fist furiously at the air. "Kill them all ye dimwits!"

A Forsworn tried to attack Elisa but Elisa dodged many strikes. Elisa used her shield to bash the Forsworn's face. The Forsworn was stunned and he held his face in pain. Elisa then impaled the Forsworn on the right side of his throat. Blood went pouring out of the Forsworn's mouth and he vibrated his hands in pain. Another Forsworn continuously struck Duncan but Duncan parried most of the Forsworn's attack and Duncan then rolled on the ground to evade his attack. Duncan then grabbed him and used his crossbow whilst holding the Forsworn. Duncan shot his crossbow and the bolt pierced through the other Forsworn's head. Duncan then used his arm to snap the Forsworn that he was holding's neck.

One of the Forsworn dropped his sword and kneeled down on the ground. He raised his hands up in the air. He shook his head and waved his hands rapidly. "P-p-p-p-please… please… please… Please d-don't kill me; I h-h-have no retaliation to you people."

The Forsworn cried like a baby and shouted "I don't wanna die! I just want to have somewhere to live!"

Elisa exhaled due to embarrassment and sheathed her sword. Elisa gave the chance for the Forsworn to flee.

He sniffed his nose and said "Thank you; I will never forget what you did."

Elisa shouted "Go before I change my mind!"

The Forsworn heeded Elisa words and fled immediately.

The Forsworn leader saw his comrade running and he yelled "Where the fuck are ye going, ye cunt!"

Elisa sheathed her blade and approached Duncan. The Forsworn Leader was the only one left and he was not impressed by his own constituents.

The Forsworn's Leader scowled and mumbled "Well, I'm the only one left… I knew I couldn't rely on those dimwits. So I have to show my big surprise!"

Duncan and Elisa glared at him and drew their weapons out. The Forsworn's leader smirked and removed the black cloak around him. What the cloak revealed that the Forsworn was a Briarheart all along. A magical heart was located below his chest. The heart was beating and it looked revolting. Duncan and Elisa were disgusted by the appearance of the Forsworn's Leader.

Duncan said "A Forsworn Briarheart."

Elisa replied "Forsworn Briarheart?"

Duncan explained "A Forsworn Briarheart is an undead foe who is summoned by a ritual. They had to amputate the man's original heart out and replace it by a magical one called the Briarheart. They are considerable strong and they contain menacing power."

Elisa shivered in disgusted and said "Gross."

Duncan agreed "I know."

The Forsworn Leader yelled "Ye fools should have run when you had the chance! Now you'll meet ye end!"

The Forsworn Leader charged at Duncan and Elisa but immediately stopped. Duncan fired his crossbow, impaling the Briarheart inside his chest. The Forsworn's leader paused and looked down at his chest.

The Forsworn said his final words before collapsing. "Shitting… hell… on… a… sliver… plate…" He fell immediately.

Elisa looked at Duncan with shock and Elisa said "How?"

Duncan explained "I shot his heart, which is the Briarheart's weakness."

Elisa nodded slowly and said "Oh…"

Elisa and Duncan cleared the village from the Forsworn and the two were covered in their enemies' blood. Sprinkle of blood were on their armours and blood dripped from their gauntlets. They approached the villagers. All of the Forsworn were dead, lying on the ground with some of their bodies dismembered and organs detached from their bodies. The whole village was covered in puddles of blood. The villagers gasped and screamed in horror without saying a single word. Everybody gave Duncan and Elisa a strange look as if they were ghosts.

Enmon got furious and approached them two angrily "Oh Gods, look at what you guys did!"

Countless whispers and shocked faces were from the distance. They were saying words like

"By the Gods! There is blood everywhere!"

"Horror…! Horror..!"

Duncan glared at the man and said "You're supposed to be thanking us."

"You damaged half of our village, sprayed blood everywhere and ruined our crops! You forced us to starve throughout the entire week."

Duncan snarled "You can't be serious! We just saved all of your asses and we helped drive the Forsworns out of your village. You should show gratitude for our service!"

"You guys have made the situation worst and we have to clean your mess that you've made. You guys are no better than the Forsworn!"

The residents were infuriated by Duncan and Elisa actions. Duncan got furious and punched Enmon on the right cheek.

Elisa yelled at Duncan when he punched the miner "Duncan!"

Duncan shouted and started to twitch his neck "We just saved your bloody lives! You should thank us, you should, you should-"

Elisa stopped him by grabbing his arm and yelled "Duncan that's enough! We should go before they call the city guards. We must resume our journey to Markarth."

Duncan aggressively shrugged his shoulder off Elisa's hand and Elisa looked at Duncan with a sad expression.

Duncan sighed and said "You're right. I lost my temper…"

They immediately left the village and went towards Markarth. It was night time and the moon was out. Duncan and Elisa created a campfire and sat down next to the fire. Duncan sat down concealed within deep thought.

Elisa saw his face and asked "Duncan is there something the matter?"

Duncan said "Those people… All I wanted is to help them and they treated us like outcast, as if we were the monsters in the village."

Elisa reassured Duncan and said "Duncan, those people were frightened because of our action. People can react like that sometimes."

Duncan stared at the sky and said "Maybe we can't always be the heroes…"

Elisa nodded and heard a noise within the distance. "Duncan did you hear that?"

The creature that was creating the noise revealed to be Rosy, the miner attended to them earlier.

Duncan said "You're…"

Rosy said "My name is Rosy…, the miner that needed your assistance earlier."

Elisa asked "What brings you to our presences?"

Rosy replied "I wanted to give you some gold…"

Duncan frown his face and asked "For what?"

Rosy said "For driving the Forsworns earlier."

Rosy gave Elisa five-hundred septims within a pouch.

Elisa said "Thank you Rosy."

Duncan smiled to Rosy and said "Thank you a lot."

Rosy said "It's very late and I need to head back because I do not want my boss thinking that I have ditched work."

Rosy departed from them quickly and Duncan said happily "Maybe not everybody is ungrateful."

Elisa nodded happily and said "That is very true my friend…"

Duncan and Elisa went to sleep at that night and morning came. The sunlight shone on the beautiful city and the sky was clear blue without any clouds. Duncan and Elisa continued their journey to Markarth and arrived at the city gates. They both saw the metallic buildings and the waterfall dropping on each rock. They entered the city and Elisa was consumed by ecstasy due to the sights.

Elisa widened her eyes and said "Markarth looks so beautiful."

"I know right but just don't-" Duncan looked around the area to search for Elisa and he found out that she was not there. Elisa was so excited to explore the place and she went immediately running off.

Duncan sighed and yelled "Elisa don't run off!"

Elisa looked back at Duncan while sprinting and yelled "Why not? There's so much to discover."

Elisa found a shop where they sell perfume and Duncan finally caught up with Elisa.

Elisa immediately turned around and asked "Duncan, which one should I get? Passionate Fruit or-or… the Blooming Flower."

Duncan shrugged his shoulders and said "Whatever deems you necessary."

Elisa looked at the perfumes briefly while she was holding them, she then looked at Duncan. "But I wanted your opinion on this one."

Duncan folded his arms and said "I advise you to try them both and see which one suits you the best."

Elisa was satisfied from Duncan response. "Hmm… Good idea."

Elisa sprayed the first perfume on her hand and placed her hand near Duncan so that he could smell it. Duncan smelt the first perfume but it smelt a bit bizarre, however the smell did caught Duncan's interested. Elisa tried on the other one, Duncan admired the Passionate Fruit's smell but it gave a brief cough due to its strength.

Duncan said "I think the Passionate Fruit is the best."

Elisa examined the perfume intently and asked "Are you sure?"

Elisa asked the merchant named Narrlla to buy the perfume. "How much are these worth?"

Narrlla held a book on her right hand and read it. She said without looking at Elisa "10 Septims."

Elisa brought the Passionate Fruit. Elisa sprayed the perfume on herself and quickly sprayed it on Duncan to irritate him. When Elisa sprayed perfume on Duncan, he quivered in frustration.

Elisa asked in enthusiastic tone "Duncan, where can we go next?"

Duncan lowered his arms due to exhaustion and said "Slow down… You act as if you have never been outside before."

Elisa turned to Duncan and glared intently.

Duncan realized and said "Oh…"

Elisa ignored Duncan and replied "I have never been in a city like this. It looks so futuristic and beautifully crafted."

Elisa's sparkling eyes were set on many places and she then opened her mouth brightly. She eventually saw the waterfall and it immediately caught her interest. She sprinted quickly towards the waterfall and dipped her hand into the river. The river reflected her beautiful face.

She yelled in an excited tone "Come on-come on Duncan, look!"

Duncan ran towards Elisa's location and his face dropped due to Elisa's juvenility.

Duncan said "Elisa, it's called a 'Waterfall'."

Elisa replied "I know what it's called but this city is so lively. I love the sea; I love the sea so much!"

Duncan shook his head and said "Elisa, you're too cute."

Elisa smiled and blushed because she was flattered by those words. "Awww… That is a very nice thing say Duncan."

Duncan sighed and asked "Hey Elisa, would you ever want to go to Cyrodiil because I heard that they have a nice beach."

Elisa was bewildered with excitement and frequently blinked her eyes. "Cyrodiil-I… Of course I want to go and I want to see the sights. I read that they are creatures called Snow Whales."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "Snow Whales?"

Elisa nodded and said "Yeah! They occur at the highest mountains of Cyrodiil when it is snowing."

Duncan looked aside and said "Okay…"

Duncan changed the subject and asked "How did they manage to retrieve the resources to build this city? They certainly didn't use ordinary metal."

Elisa replied "I read about this city Markarth. Before Markarth was created, it was named Nchuand-Zel. Nchuand-Zel belonged to the ancient Dwemer, a race that was long extinct. It was those people who built city like this one that we are in, across all of Morrowind, Skyrim, Hammerfell and High Rock during the Merethic Era and First Era. After time had passed, the Reach or Reachman conquered this city and renamed it Markarth."

Duncan folded his arms and was impressed by Elisa's supreme knowledge. "You read a lot of books and study history very well."

Elisa smiled and said as she was counting her fingers "You don't know the half of it. I study Language, Geography, History, Maths and Magic."

Duncan smiled and said "Hmph. Cool. What grade did you receive in your school exam?"

Elisa pushed her hair aside and said "I received one of the highest within my class."

Duncan grinned and asked "Should I call you Miss. Erudition?"

Elisa smiled and said "Hmph. Decent nickname but I should call you Goldilocks."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and asked "Why?"

Elisa smiled brightly and said "Because you have blonde hair silly…"

Duncan sulked and said "But I'm not even a girl…"

Elisa pointed her finger in the air and replied "Mr. Goldilocks."

Elisa jumped and quickly controlled herself. "Okay-okay. You be Mr. Goldilocks and I'll be Mama bear."

Duncan lowered his shoulders and said "Elisa, I don't think that's-"

Elisa held her hips and said in a high-pitched tone to imitate Mama Bear. "Who ate my porridge?"

Duncan looked aside in embarrassment and cringed. Duncan said in a jaded way "*Sigh*They are too many beds for me to choose. I can't decide and I don't want to because too much shit is in my hands right now."

Elisa folded her arms in annoyance and she said "Hey. That's not the right line…"

Duncan gave a serious look towards Elisa and said "Elisa…"

Elisa mumbled "Okay-okay, jeez… Do you even know what fun is…? You should know by now…"

Duncan turned his head around and asked in a demanding tone "What was that?"

Elisa lifted her hands and replied desperately "Nothing!"

Duncan and Elisa continued to explore around for a brief moment. Eventually, they saw children sitting on the ground and heard a man read them about the newly released book called _Suitors of Fond Memories._

The man named Reed read the book out loud _"Once upon a time, there was a Nordic warrior named Noran. Noran was served to protect the emperor's daughter, Rorulia within Cyrodiil. While Rorulia was travelling with her knights, an abrupt ambush happened by thugs. The poor princess was forced to flee and it caused a huge panic within the kingdom. The emperor assigned Noran on a mission to retrieve the princess and bring her back to him. However, that task will not be easy because he needs to overcome some obstacles."_

One child named Isaac raised his hand up and asked "Who's the real main character?"

"What?"

Isaac reiterated "Who is the main character?"

Reed replied "It's Noran."

A female child named Sofia said "Are you sure? Because it has two characters within the book."

Erlan folded his arms in annoyance and asked impatiently "Then who is it, Noran or Rorulia?"

Reed nervously raised his hands in the air and said "Calm down-calm down. The main character is Noran because he's the first to be introduced. Now please settle down before I call your parents."

Isaac waved his hands nervously and said "No-no-no. That would be fine. Jeez, elders bossing us around…" Noran rolled his eyes as he mumbled.

Erlan spoilt his mouth by sticking his tongue. "I don't like books they're confusing."

Reed felt a bit nervous and tried to calm the annoyed children. "Kids, that's enough. You need me to finish the rest of the story."

Elisa turned to Duncan and asked "That is a really good question Duncan. Why don't they easily tell us the real main character in some stories?"

Duncan shrugged his shoulder and said "I don't know… to make the book mysterious? Main characters can be more than one, you know."

Duncan shrugged his shoulders and said "How I'm I suppose to know? You're the book expert."

Elisa smiled and said "But I don't know everything about books. I do know that each book has at least one cliché within them. Some books do show some form of metaphor within them."

Duncan smiled and said "They just cannot be a 'perfect book.'"

They both had a quick tour around the city and they eventually encountered a wall that had writing that was painted red. It said _"STOP POISONING OUR LAND BY BURNING OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS!"_

Elisa leaned forward to have a closer look towards the wall and placed her hand on her back. She squinted and read the text out loud to inspect it carefully. She asked "What do they mean by 'burning'?"

Duncan replied "You haven't seen it, have you? It means their method of performing a public execution. Depending on what person you are, you either love it or hate it."

Elisa looked back at the painting on the wall and replied "Ah…, sounds pretty harsh. I'm guessing it has to do with major crimes such as murder."

Duncan said "It could be petty ones. You'll never know."

Duncan swift his head left and right slowly and said "We should head into one of the shops."

Elisa put her finger on her lip and then pointed to Arnleif and Sons Trading Company. "That shop looks good."

Before Duncan and Elisa headed into the shop, Elisa asked Duncan "Duncan, how old are you? You haven't told me your age yet."

Duncan replied "Twenty-Nine."

Elisa placed her hand on her chest and said in an amazed tone "Oh my gosh…, I'm almost the same age."

Duncan folded his arms and frowned at Elisa. "Are you sure…? Because the way you act…"

Elisa squint her eyes and said "Hmph! Very funny…"

Duncan smiled briefly and Elisa asked "Duncan, have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Duncan gave the thinking pose and said "There was one girl… You know the 'love in first sight' bullshit in those romantic cliché novels. Yeah, I had a girl that I liked in school but she didn't have the same feelings for me."

Elisa was quite upset and said "That is quite unfortunate…"

Duncan gave Elisa more of a straight look and said "Not really… I find love in first sight pointless because you are just wasting your time and energy for an unattainable love. That is why I never want to have that experience again because it is a waste of time. What about you?"

Elisa began to play with her hair and said "Many men are smitten by my gorgeous appearance thus making me unapproachable due to them having a fear of talking to pretty girls."

Duncan raised his eyebrows and said "Huh, I can't blame them. Judging by your gorgeous blue eyes and your cherry hair; they will be no man that will resist you."

Elisa smiled and said "That is where you are wrong."

Duncan frowned and Elisa said "You…"

Elisa gracefully set her arms out to feel the fresh air and said with ecstasy "Ah… Going out feels so organic... This reminds me of the time when my sister first visited the outside world."

"Yeah, me too… With my father that is."

Elisa asked "I'm sorry for bringing up personal matters but you already know he's dead… don't you?"

Duncan looked aside and then gave Elisa a strong and serious look. He said in a firm tone "I know he is dead. He looked like he was ill and I don't know why..."

Elisa asked "Why do you still look for him?"

Duncan said "I have to Elisa… because all I did was just stand there and watched as he departed with a disgusting face. Maybe I could fix things by locating him."

Duncan asked "Anyway move on from that… You haven't told me about your parents Elisa."

Elisa gave the thinking pose and said "I didn't know much about my parents since they were killed by ruthless thugs. All I know is that my father was a financial advisor and my mother was a caretaker."

Duncan nodded and said "I understand."

Duncan rubbed his head to get rid of his sweat and placed his hand on his forehead. "It's so hot here."

There was a staircase that was shady for Elisa to sit in. Elisa sat down on the staircase, where the shadows are and played with her hair.

She waved her right hand to signal Duncan and yelled in a sweet tone "Hey, Duncan! It's shady here!"

Duncan sat beside Elisa and rested for a bit. Duncan got water out for the two and Elisa said "Thanks."

They both drank the water and Duncan was so thirsty that water was dripping out of his mouth while he was drinking it.

Elisa laughed at Duncan and Duncan asked "What is so funny?"

Elisa smiled warmly and said "You got water all over your mouth. Here let me clean it."

Elisa used tissue to wipe Duncan's mouth and Duncan was a bit embarrassed by Elisa's behaviour. Duncan looked aside and said in a disappointing but soft tone "Elisa, don't treat me like a child…"

Elisa laughed hysterically and leaned back and forth with joy.

Duncan paused for a brief moment and said "Elisa…"

Elisa softened and said "Hm?"

"You didn't deserve to have a life such as this because you are such a nice person."

Elisa smiled warmly and said "Duncan, you do not deserve to have a life such as your own too but we still have to learn to enjoy it. Everybody suffers…"

"We have to get into the shop now because we need to see Calcelmo right away."

Duncan nodded and said "Okay."

Duncan and Elisa headed inside the shop but the person who was running it wasn't Lisbet but Imedhnain. Imedhnain did not seem to be in the 'best' mood and he acted strange. By strange I mean crazy. Imedhnain was muttering under his breath and glared at the two while were walking in.

Imedhnain grumbled under his fake grin "These people what do they want…?"

Duncan and Elisa were disturbed by his behaviour but they ignored it and proceed.

Duncan asked "I would like to sell you my old ring for 50 Septims."

Imedhnain said dementedly "What the fuck do you think this place is!? I'm trying get rid of my shit, not to add more! Do you know how it feels to wake up 6 o'clock in the fucking morning and work your ass off without getting shut eye?"

Duncan frowned uncomfortably towards Elisa and said nervously "Uhhh…"

Imedhnain yelled whilst his head was vibrating "I don't want to get fucking homeless and sit on puddles of wet shit and cupping my arms together and get fucking sandwich coins!"

Imedhnain sadly looked down on floor and mumbled in a heart-breaking tone "I wanted to be something big in the future but I ended up here…"

Imedhnain pinched his fingers and yelled "All thanks to the ffffffffucking civil war! That is why I can't have a decent future for myself!"

Duncan and Elisa looked at each other uncomfortably and they were hesitant to speak.

Duncan used the corners of his eyes to look at Elisa and faltered "Can I at least sell…?"

Imedhnain yelled from the top of his lungs "Lisbet! Can we accept shit from our customers!?"

Lisbet yelled from upstairs and asked "Why!?"

Imedhnain yelled back to Lisbet "Because these two want to sell me shit!"

Lisbet received a headache from Imedhnain's yelling. "I don't know, do what you want!"

"But I don't want to!"

Lisbet was bewildered by that response and yelled "Then don't, why do you have to ask me!?"

Imedhnain was extremely infuriated by that response and grabbed the flower base. He used the flower base to smash on the wall next to him.

He shouted "Look you stupid bitch, I'm not the one who is running this shithole of a shop!"

Duncan frowned and looked at Elisa. He pointed at the door with his thumb and said "I think we should get out of here…"

Elisa nodded quickly and they raced out of the place with such haste.

Elisa and Duncan decided to go to the Understone Keep to see Calcelmo.

Elisa asked Duncan a very bizarre question "Duncan, may I ask you something?"

Duncan said "Sure."

Elisa leaned forward with her hands behind her back and asked "Why do you wear eyeliners?"

Duncan was bewildered by that response and asked "Why the fu- Why would you ask this question? These are not eyeliners, these are war-paints!"

Elisa said "Wrong… War-paints are much bushier and messy. You have them perfectly lined up around your eyes."

Duncan found the conversation so awkward for him and he stuttered "Well… I…"

Duncan felt so embarrassed and blushed due to the conversation. Duncan then exhaled heavily.

Elisa reassured Duncan and said "It's perfectly okay for a man to wear makeup..."

Duncan cuts Elisa off and said "Please stop Elisa... I wear them to… Let's stop talking about this!"

Elisa said "Agreed."

Elisa spoked to Duncan and said "Hey Duncan, I read about a man trying save a girl trapped in the tower. He was in lands that were racist to Elves, Lizards or species that are non-human. After he rescues her, they encounter a Giant Dwarven Mechanical Eagle trying to retrieve the girl. Literally everybody wants to hunt the man down for trying to grant the girl's freedom."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "Robot Eagles? Weird…"

"Also, I read about a monster-slayer trying to rescue a princess from Cyrodiil and she has some ancient power that could help humanity to prevent the destruction of the world. And-and another one about the first human that fell into the Dwarven ruins in Morrowind. Humans and Mers were separated through a barrier. Also-"

Duncan's eyelids felt heavy and dry. Duncan wanted Elisa to stop talking because Duncan was getting a bit exhausted due to Elisa's story. "Elisa I think I heard enough because we have to see Calcelmo."

Elisa abruptly heard a scream from the distance and it sounded like a man's scream. Elisa got a bit worried and asked "Duncan did you hear that?"

Duncan nodded firmly and he knew it was bad news for them two. "Yeah, I did and it sounds troubling."

 _Duncan and Elisa headed to the location where they heard the scream. They encountered a horde of people gathered into one place and they heard the Thalmor Justiciar's speech. Duncan and Elisa went into the crowed and inspected the scene. The Thalmor were burning people alive because the violation of worshipping Talos. A man was tied to a stake with a rope so that he couldn't break free. The man struggled and cried to get out of the situation that he was in but it was hopeless. He began to cry more and more… However, an Altmer named Commander Toolak was the commander of the Third Aldmeri Dominion. The man had golden skin, pointy ears and pale green eyes. His hair was white and really spikey. He was very tall. He held a torch that was lit on fire and he placed it on the man stomach. The flames were igniting slowly on the man's body and he was screaming in severe pain. The innocent man's skin was black and rotten, his jaw dropped while his tongue hung out._

Commander Toolak yelled "People of Skyrim! We Thalmor made a clear rule that worshipping Talos was strictly forbidden! They have made a violation to our code and they believe they could provoke us in such an arrogant way. Criminals like these have committed atrocities and vile acts to our dominion! They worship their 'god' but can their 'god' save them from their fate!? We shall wait and witness!"

Commander Toolak placed another man on fire and Elisa gasped in shock while covering her mouth. Duncan glared to display the amount of disgust and hatred to the scene.

The man who got burned shouted "Don't worry people of Skyrim! In this place, we will be free from the Thalmor's restraint and you will be safe again! Ah-ah! Arghhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The flames slowly peeled the skin from the man's flesh and his body was decayed and rotten. Elisa began to strongly dislike the sight of this and she quivered in anxiety.

Commander Toolak commanded in a sharp tone "Dragged the other one here."

Two Thalmor Guards aggressively dragged a victim from the line and delivered him to Commander Toolak. The man constantly struggled to escape from the Thalmor's restrain but it was no use.

The man cried and pleaded "Stop! Please! I have done nothing wrong!"

One of the Thalmor guard punched the man within the stomach and the man coughed in pain.

The Thalmor Guard snarled with a furious face "If I was you, I would keep that trap shut!"

Commander Toolak said "Men, tie him to the stake."

The man cried "No, no, no please!"

Elisa held her head with her two hands and shook her head. She widened her eyes due to aversion and she murmured in a whimpering tone "Oh Gods… Oh Gods… Oh Gods…"

Elisa turned to Duncan and said nervously "D-Duncan, we should… we should go now."

Duncan saw the expression on Elisa's face and nodded strongly.

He took Elisa away from the terrifying scene and they went near the Understone Keep.

Elisa began to hold her arms due to extremely disturbance and Duncan saw how Elisa was behaving.

Duncan asked "Elisa, are you okay…"

Elisa remained silent and stood there crying and whimpering quietly to herself.

Duncan gave a glance look aside and then said "Look… I…"

Duncan exhaled sadly and approached Elisa while she was shaking her arms. Duncan wrapped his arms around her gently.

Duncan said in a sweet and gentle tone "Elisa calm down… I'm here for you."

Elisa asked in a sobbing tone "Why… are people so evil… in this world?"

Duncan released Elisa and rested his hands on her shoulder. He replied "That's just how it is. There are always good people and evil people but we can't change who they are. They could only change themselves. Villains are forming every day."

Elisa clutched her stomach and felt quinsy due to the horrible scene of execution. She said "I feel sick…"

Duncan began to grab Elisa's right hand gentle and gave a serious look. "Elisa, you need to listen to me. Skyrim is not a nice place to be in, especially for kind girls like you. You must pick up your sword by yourself because people can't always pick it up for you, if you don't… Well, that sword is going to be used against you." Duncan looked aside in thought.

Elisa heeded Duncan's words immediately and nodded to display her understanding.

Elisa wiped the tears from her eyes and sniffed her nose. Elisa began to stop crying and fight the tears within her. She gave an innocent look to Duncan and said "I'm so sorry… I didn't know I was so emotional…"

Duncan smiled and said "Remember… you said it yourself… 'We need to be strong…'"

Elisa sighed heavily and said "I need to get this out of my chest… Things haven't been great without my sister… You probably picture me as some… 'Abnormal being…' A girl who hasn't grew up with her family, a girl who couldn't play tag or any… childish game with her sister. Instead of growing up as a normal kid, I ended up into the orphanage… Am I just a waste of space in this world?"

Duncan said "That is not true."

Elisa snapped and said "It is true! The people I care about are all dead! A normal person would have parents or siblings to look after them. Feeding them dinner, reading them bedtime stories and watching them grow up… I never had a life like that, I can't be normal like you, people must think of me as a freak to be honest…" Elisa turned around and crossed her arms in disappointment.

Duncan whispered "You lie…"

Elisa looked back at Duncan and stroked her hair on the left. "What?"

"You're lying, you believe that the people who care about you are dead but you have one person who cares… and it's me."

Elisa looked aside and blushed while holding her chest.

Duncan continued "You wish for a normal life but define what a normal life is? There is nothing normal within this world. We are all just a bunch of freaks who believe that we are all different due to our appearance or personal status. So what if you're a freak? I'm a freak too then."

Elisa slowly approached Duncan and hugged him tightly. Duncan was so confused but then he realized Elisa's sorrow.

Duncan began to wrap his arms around Elisa and said "It's okay… I'm here for you."

Elisa said warmly due to Duncan's compassion "Thank you Duncan…"

Elisa immediately released Duncan and she said "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Duncan smiled and said "It's okay."

Duncan said "We should head inside."

Elisa smiled to Duncan to cover up her sadness and Duncan smiled back to Elisa.

Duncan said "Atta girl."

Elisa asked "Duncan, what if Calcelmo refuse to help us and tells you to not bother him?"

"Good question... I will try to convince him to helping us and if he says otherwise. Elisa you know what to do."

Duncan gave the gentlemen pose and said "After you my lady."

Elisa smiled and said "Why thank you."

Duncan smiled and they both entered the Understone Keep. When they arrived the Guards immediately stopped them from proceeding any further.

The Markarth Guard raised his left hand to prevent them from entering the Understone Keep.

The Markarth Guard said to them "No unauthorised personnel are allowed within the Understone Keep. If you want to proceed, I suggest you give us a valid reason or display your invitation. No invitation, no enter."

Duncan said "Don't worry; we wish to speak to the Markarth court wizard Calcelmo. We wish for his assistance."

Second Markarth Guard said "Calcelmo does not want to be disturbed because he has important assignments to complete. I suggest you to leave him be until he is available."

Duncan brought out a pouch full of coins and said "If I give you… let's say… 500 Septims would we be square?"

The Markarth Guard paused for a few seconds and was convinced "Alright… But I would let you go just this once."

Elisa was very pleased by that response and smiled. "Alright, thank you."

 _Duncan and Elisa went to go visit Calcelmo the Court Wizard, they approached him but Calcelmo was very busy with his research. He fully concentrated on his work due to the amount of dedication. He wanted no interruptions while he is working and he believed that eating meals would waste his valuable time. He rarely eats or drinks but he had a good knowledge about the Dwarves. Calcelmo was not very approachable and it was difficult for Duncan and Elisa to speak with him._

When the two approached him, he swiftly turned his head around without batting an eye.

Calcelmo yelled "Well! What are you two doing here? This site is restricted at the moment. I don't require any more guards or workers to accompany me."

Elisa looked at Duncan and said "You do the talking Duncan."

Elisa went towards the concrete table and sat down while she kicked her legs.

Duncan began to speak in a serious way and he said "I was looking for you and I-"

"I told you, I'm not hiring any more guards or workers here. Simpletons, always bothering me about the pettiest things."

Duncan folded his arms and said "I'm not here to be your guard, jackass. I need your help to decipher this Daedric Artifact but it's written in the ancient Falmer language. I chose to come here because you are an expert at this subject."

While Duncan and Calcelmo were having their conversation, Elisa rested her cheek on her palm and kicked her legs like a little child, then crossed them like a mature woman.

Calcelmo folded his arms and pucker his lips. He asked "Why should I waste my valuable research time to accompany you?"

Duncan began to approach Calcelmo dangerously. He spoke in an intimidating way "Because if you don't, I will never help you find the Dwarven artifacts that you have been seeking for decades."

Calcelmo proudly objected "Hah! I could hire anyone to do that job."

Duncan tilted his head slightly and said "Oh really? How many people have died or got lost into your 'requests'? Judging by the looks of it, you haven't found a single artifact in years. If you did, I would have seen one right about now."

Calcelmo was so speechless that Duncan had said that and he believed that Duncan had proved a valid point. Calcelmo was ultimately convinced and allowed Duncan and Elisa to receive support from him.

Calcelmo stuttered nervously "Well I… I… I… *Sigh* You win…"

Duncan said "Like always."

Calcelmo placed his hands on his hips and asked "Alright Goldilocks, how may I assist you?"

"Funny you should ask. I need you to decipher the Map of Otrulag; the map is a Daedric artifact that my friend and I manage to retrieve. The Daedric Prince, Mehrunes Dagon said the map can grant any location that the user desires. I couldn't understand it because it's in a language that we humans can't comprehend. Even my friend Elisa could not figure it out as well though she had studied a lot of Daedric lore."

Duncan gave Calcelmo the Map of Otrulag and he inspected it with full concentration. "Hmm, give me that. I see… this map was created 1000 years ago. Otrulag such beauty… Why would this magnificent thing be doing in your possession?"

Duncan leaned on the back wall and folded his arms. Duncan shouted "Focus! I haven't got all day."

Calcelmo said with extreme pride "Mind your language; you are talking to the Markarth court wizard Calcelmo."

Duncan turned towards Elisa and said "Elisa."

Elisa drew her sword out to intimidate Calcelmo and Calcelmo panicked severely.

He waved his hands and said nervously "Okay-okay, there's no need for that."

Elisa sheathed her blade and Calcelmo placed the Map of Otrulag on the table. He studied the Map slowly and he found out that the map was created by an ancient language of Falmer.

Calcelmo said "This map was created by the ancient language of Falmer. I could translate it but it will require time and dedication."

Elisa asked "How long would it take?"

Calcelmo replied "About three days or weeks. I suggest you do something else and not bother me while I'm doing this."

Elisa said "Okay, thanks for your help Calcelmo."

Duncan and Elisa began to depart and Calcelmo yelled to stop them. "Wait! Don't I get a reward for helping you?"

Duncan quickly threw a money poach at his head and the gold poach smacked Calcelmo's face.

Calcelmo held his face and yelled "Ow!"

The two departed from the Understone Keep and Elisa asked "So Duncan, what are you going to do while we wait?"

Duncan said "I'm going to continue my job as a mercenary."

Elisa recommended something else and said "Or we could do some free time."

Duncan frown with one brow and said "Free time? Sorry Elisa I must decline."

"Come on Duncan, we have earned ourselves a break. You need to relax and keep your head back because you look so tired. We could sing songs, we could read books and we can just rest our feet on the soft grass. So… what do you say?"

Duncan thought about it for a bit and chuckled lightly. "Okay you win, it's a date."


	5. Chapter IV – A Settling Time:

**Guys, I returned with a new chapter of this story. I apologize with the many rewrites I did. But I will try not to rewrite the first two chapters anymore. Please enjoy because this is my favourite chapter in the story. :) Oh yeah, make sure you play the song** **Two Steps From Hell - Cloud Maker at the right moment because I think it fits, just saying. You don't have to.  
31/12/16: Sorry guys, I made an error that was not suppose to be there. Mai's death date was suppose to be a different date, I forgot. :(**

* * *

 **Chapter IV – A Settling Time:  
** _Duncan and Elisa decided to have some free time while Calcelmo was cracking the code of Otrulag. Elisa wanted to play the lute and she tried to convince Duncan to purchase it. Duncan refused at first but Elisa convinced him later. He reluctantly agreed and Duncan thought it was an absurd idea. Duncan and Elisa approached to the Solitude's store Bits and Pieces._

Elisa pointed at the store and said with massive exhilaration "Hey, Duncan. We could enter this store and buy a lute for a cheap price."

Duncan asked "Why, were you always a singer?"

Elisa replied "No, but I always wanted to play one."

"Okay, but do you have the money?"

Elisa nodded happily and said "Yes I do."

Elisa gave Duncan the money to buy a lute and Duncan took the money.

Duncan gave a small smile and he said "Very well, you may proceed."

Elisa smiled warmly and placed her hands behind her back. "Maybe I could teach you to sing?"

Duncan waved his right hand and replied "No-no-no, I'm a warrior, not a singer. I take on contracts but a melody note?"

Elisa tried to persuade Duncan and said "You don't do much in your free time but train. You should loosen up and do something fun in your life."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "Elisa, I'm a terrible singer and I don't know how to play the lute."

Elisa gave a gently smile and said "Don't worry, I will teach you."

Duncan yelled in an embarrassing tone "No! I will feel… b-bizarre."

Elisa stared at Duncan with innocent eyes and persuaded in a warm tone "Please… for me."

Duncan looked at Elisa for a brief moment and reluctantly agreed "Well…*Sigh* Fine."

Elisa was satisfied and asked "Well, what are you waiting for?"

Duncan sighed and walked off. They both entered the store and asked Beirand the blacksmith if he had a lute.

Beirand greeted Duncan and Elisa in a pleasant way. "Hello sir, what would you like to get your cute sister today?"

Duncan squint his eyes and mumbled "She's not my sister."

Beirand sneered "Okay, your lover then."

Duncan bared his teeth and shouted aggressively "Just give me the lute!"

Beirand laughed and gave Duncan the lute. He said "Sir that will be twenty-five Septims."

Duncan glared Elisa with annoyance but Elisa returned with a warm smile to irritate Duncan.

Elisa gave her gratitude to Beirand and said "Thank you."

Duncan and Elisa both exited the store and had a quick tour around.

Duncan asked with a serious look "Are you satisfied?"

Elisa smiled and replied "If you mean that you have granted satisfaction to me by purchasing the lute… then yes."

Duncan shook his head and looked around for a brief moment. Duncan asked Elisa "Where next?"

Elisa suggested "I recommend we go and purchase a book."

Duncan got a bit annoyed and pointed his finger at Elisa. He protested "Hey, you're only doing what you want!"

Elisa leaned her head back and narrowed her eyes. She placed her hands behind her back and said in an annoyed tone "Okay, do you have anything else in mind?"

Duncan was searching for words to say but he ended up speechless. He sighed and said "I... *Sigh* Lead the way."

Before Duncan and Elisa approaching the Blue Palace, they abruptly encountered a man who was whipped by Imperial Soldiers. Elisa remained silent and just stared at the helpless man. The man had scars all over his back and the blood from his wound were dripping on the ground.

Duncan approached the Imperials and asked "What was the man's crime?"

The Imperial Soldier glared at the soldier with contempt and replied "For being a Stormcloak. Ulfric's men are nothing but murderers. All of our friends are killed by one of 'him'. As I see it, he is getting what he deserves."

The Stormcloak Soldier cried and pleaded with a huge amount of exhaustion "Please… please…, stop… No more…"

The Imperial Soldier, who was whipping him, hesitated to hit the man again and his arms vibrated.

The Imperial Soldier turned to his comrade and shouted "Who told you to stop!?"

The Second Imperial Soldier proceeded to whip the Stormcloak and the Stormcloak screamed in agony. He couldn't endure the torment dealt by the Imperials.

The Imperial Soldier turned back to Duncan and Elisa and said "You two, there is nothing else to see here, move along."

Duncan rested his palm on Elisa's shoulder and said "Elisa, he's right this isn't our business."

Elisa gave an unhappy expression and replied "You're right, we should go."

Duncan and Elisa didn't want to get involved within the situation and they just ignored the man screaming and walked away.

Duncan asked "Elisa, are you okay? Because what happened back there…"

Elisa looked aside while holding her arms and replied "I'm fine; just some people don't treat others like people…"

Duncan folded his arms in disgust and said "Tch. Some people are like that and that's just how people are. Some of them are cold, vile and malevolent."

Elisa immediately changed the subject and said "I digress… We could go to the Blue Palace and visit the library to purchase books."

Duncan gave the thinking pose and said "Hmmm… That does seem like a good place."

They approached the Blue Palace where Elisif the Fair does her business on the war and how the town fares. Duncan approached the front entrance but the Solitude guards stopped them from entering.

The Solitude Guard said "This place is off-limits; you are not allowed to enter the Blue Palace without the required invitation."

Duncan tried to convince the two guards by bribing them and he asked "How about some coin to spare?"

Solitude Guard instantly decline the offer and said "Sorry, pal no invitation, no enter."

Duncan looked aside and whispered "Ah shit…"

Duncan turned to Elisa and asked "Elisa any other ideas?"

Elisa grabbed her chin and looked into the sky with her eyes. "Hmmm… I've got it!" She then pointed her finger in the air.

Elisa dragged Duncan arm and said "Come this way!"

Duncan and Elisa approached the back door of the Blue Palace and Duncan was confused. "The backdoor, how is going to help us to enter if it's locked?"

Elisa crouched and attempted to pick the lock of the backdoor.

Duncan saw what Elisa was doing and he was impressed by her behaviour. Duncan gave a slight grin and said "Miss. Erudition has a dark side."

Elisa turned to Duncan and smiled cunningly. "Doesn't everyone?"

Elisa finished picking the lock and she opened the door. She whispered "Alright I'm done."

Duncan and Elisa snuck inside and cautiously looked around if anyone noticed them.

Elisa whispered "Good, no one noticed us…"

Elisa and Duncan finally made it into the Library and tried to purchase a book that Elisa wanted. Duncan had a quick tour around and he encountered a Deadric model. He examined it but he got freaked out by seeing the appearance.

He mumbled to himself with a sarcastic tone "Argh… This isn't unpleasant."

Elisa picked up two books, _2920: Rain's Hand: v4, The "Madmen" of the Reach_ and she wanted to locate the final one. Elisa went wondering around and examining the books on each shelf. She took one book and looked at the title. " _A Dance in Fire…_ nope…" Elisa returned the book towards its original place.

She looked walked while inspecting the books and said " _A Game at Dinner…_ not that one… _Darkest Darkness…_ Na ah…"

She saw _The Legend of Red Eagle_ on the top shelf. She smiled brightly and said in a satisfied tone "Ah! Found it." She tip-toed and grabbed the book with her right hand. She looked at the book with a bright face and cuddled the three books towards her breasts.

Elisa went to the Solitude Court Wizard, Sybille Stentor in order to purchase the books.

Elisa looked at Sybille's vampire eyes and did not react. She smiled warmly and said "I would like to purchase these books please."

Sybille replied "Sure that would be 67 Septims."

Elisa retrieved the books and approached Duncan.

Duncan unfolded his arms and said "There you are. Have you managed to retrieve the books?"

Elisa nodded happily and said "Yeah, I've got three."

Duncan looked aside and said "Okay."

Elisa asked "Can I explain one?"

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "No."

Elisa ignored Duncan and sneered "Anyway here goes."

Duncan gave himself a face palm and groaned "Grrr…"

Elisa was explaining the book about _The Legend of Red Eagle._ "Duncan, this book is called _The Legend of Red Eagle._ _The Legend of Red Eagle_ is about a legendary hero named Red Eagle. Red Eagle was a man who rebelled against the Imperial Empire during the First Era. At this time, the empress Hestra was at reign and she wanted to conquer The Reach. Red Eagle refuse to allow that to occur but it was hopeless for him to succeed. He desperately needed power, so he made a deal with a Hagraven. Receiving power from a Hagraven will pay a price. He sacrificed his humanity in exchange for supreme power but that is all I know. Apparently, his location is in a tomb called Rebel's Cairns. After he died, his spirit lives on and it grants him menacing power. Anyone who dares enter his grave will meet their demise."

Elisa scratched her head and said "But… but we have to enter Sundered Towers for an unspecified reason…"

Elisa looked at Duncan and she found out that Duncan was concealed in deep thought.

She shouted to grab his attention and Duncan jumped "Duncan!"

Duncan replied "Yes!"

Elisa asked with an angry face "Are you even listen?"

Duncan held his right ear due to the fact that Elisa yelled at him too loud. "Ah shit! I think you busted my ear drum!"

Duncan looked at Elisa and said "Books don't interest me. Can't we go somewhere that I like?"

Elisa showed a bit of irritation and said "Argh! You are unbelievable."

Duncan rolled his eyes and said "Argh… whatever."

Elisa was annoyed but then thought of a place they could go. "Tch... I know a place that you would love."

Duncan said in weak voice "Please don't…"

Elisa quickly dragged Duncan's arm and gave a bright and happy smile. They both set off to adventure.

Elisa gave such an exciting face and yelled happily "Come on, come on let's go!"

Duncan and Elisa snuck outside of the Blue Palace and eventually encountered a homeless beggar named Noster Eagle-Eye who was on the ground sleeping with a bottle beside him. He was poorly dressed and he wore rags as clothes. He looked like he hadn't bathed for weeks and he had a missing eye.

Duncan looked at the beggar sleeping and he said "This man is a poor drunken mess."

Elisa responded in sarcasm "Like you when you are older?"

Duncan gave a glare towards Elisa and laughed sarcastically "Oh har har."

Elisa smiled and the homeless beggar woke up. He saw Duncan and Elisa and Noster Eagle-Eye opened his mouth to talk. The man had some teeth that were missing and most of his teeth were coloured black or brown.

He yelled with one of his eyes shut "Eh? Who the Daedra are you!? Can't an old fucker get some rest!?"

Elisa panicked by raising her hands up and said "Nothing! Sorry for waking you sir!"

Duncan and Elisa left the old timer to continue his rest and they encountered the Imperials' headquarters where General Tullius works on his war business.

Duncan mumbled to himself "Ah, shit… that was not awkward…"

Duncan looked at the building and explained "This building is the Imperials' headquarters. It's where General Tullius plans his strategy on the war. I don't know if he is in there right now but it's not wise to check."

Elisa asked "Should we have a look inside?"

Duncan folded his arms and shook his head. "No Elisa, we can't visit places that we are not allowed, unless you are planning to enter the army."

Elisa raised her right hand and said "No thanks; there is enough bloodshed."

Two imperial soldiers were having a small conversation. The first soldier said "I can't believe a woman is second-in-command… Ridiculous isn't it?"

Imperial soldier two said "I know but we just need live with it."

Imperial one folded his arms and sulked "Argh… I can't stand her being in charged. I think General Tullius made a big mistake."

While Duncan and Elisa were talking, Duncan said "You're right. The Thalmor are the real viper here."

Elisa turned around quickly and crossed her arms in annoyance. She snarled "After that scene, I don't want their names slipping into my mind right now."

"Remember Elisa, in this world everybody is a monster, we're just not aware of it."

Elisa gave Duncan innocent eyes and said "Not everybody Duncan."

Elisa looked around and saw the bard's college. Elisa said in an enthusiastic tone "This is the bard's college. Duncan, we could go there and enjoy ourselves. You know… We dance and listen to songs."

Duncan looked aside and folded his arms. "Dancing is juvenile."

Elisa grabbed Duncan's hands and smiled brightly. She said in a joyful tone "Everyone dances for entertainment. I suggest you give an attempt."

Duncan sighed and Duncan covered his face due to embarrassment. He mumbled "Very well…"

Duncan and Elisa both entered the bard's college and they were with a group of people. Elisa elatedly nodded with uncontrollable excitement. She opened her mouth and smiled with exuberant. Duncan in the meanwhile, folded his arms and recorded with his ears. The people within the bard's college heard the Bard Teacher; Giraud Gemane introduced himself. "Hello everyone, my name is Giraud and I am the staff member of the bard's college. You may explore around the Bard's College but I warn you do not touch anything that belongs to our possession. You don't want to be paying any of the damage, do you? Do not disturb the staffs when they are working unless it is urgent. If you want to hear the musicians play, travel towards the main hall straight down the corridor. Thank you and goodbye."

 _Duncan and Elisa headed into the main hall and Elisa spotted a painting on the wall. It was a regular man with a dark aura surrounding him. The power looked intimidating and daunting. He was sitting like a king on his throne and people of Skyrim never met the man in person; therefore, they couldn't decorate his face. The man lived for centuries and people claimed that he was immortal. Was he Tamerial's most infamous and threatening foe? Was he a God? Or was he a Daedric Prince? We just don't know yet._

Elisa was extremely curious and asked Duncan while her finger was on her mouth "Hey, what kind of painting is that? It displays of a man with an evil force around him."

Giraud walked past Duncan and Elisa and briefly said "You like the painting? Please don't touch it."

Duncan and Elisa looked at him while he was walking away.

Duncan said "It's Umbra Anima."

Elisa turned towards Duncan and asked "Umbra Anima?"

Duncan explained while inspecting the painting "He is called Umbra Anima. Not much is known about him but people have done some research. People claim that he steals people's souls. His motives are ambiguous. All I know that he is immortal and he cannot age or be killed. He may look human but don't let his appearance fool you. This painting is an illustration of what people think he looks like. Gods knows how many souls he had stolen… "

Elisa grabbed her chin and asked "What else about him?"

"He is very powerful and nobody knows where he lurks. People who have met him either died or never to be found again…"

Elisa was speechless and looked back at the painting with a worried face. "Oh Gods…"

Duncan comforted Elisa and said "Elisa, don't be afraid."

Elisa shook her head and said "I'm not afraid but I'm just shocked."

"I don't know but I hope we never encounter him in person."

Elisa said "Agreed, I don't like his appearance it frightens me."

Duncan agreed and said firmly "Neither do I."

They're probably going to see him… Oh sorry… Let me continue, Duncan and Elisa entered the main hall of the Bard's College and Elisa was amazed by the music.

Elisa spread her arms out and said in an amazed tone "The music is beautiful…"

Duncan glared at Elisa and Elisa leaned back with her eyes widened and she asked "What?"

Duncan groaned and shook his head. Duncan went to a chair and sat down with annoyance. Musicians were banging on their drums and some were playing with their flutes. Some women were the lead vocals and others supported them. Elisa was amused by the music and blended within the environment. She started to dance with joy and she had a big smile on her face. She spun around and continuously jumped to display her happiness. Duncan however, displayed a jaded behaviour. Duncan rested his chin on his hand and he was not having a good time.

Elisa approached Duncan and she wanted Duncan join with her but Duncan automatically refused. Elisa clapped her hands together and said joyfully "Duncan come dance with me."

Duncan instantly refused and yelled "No! I don't dance. I don't want to! I don't feel like it!"

Elisa tried to convince Duncan "It's great, come on."

Duncan began to soften his tone and squinted weakly "No…"

Duncan frown his face and looked aside due to embarrassment. "It's not my thing..."

Elisa approached Duncan and reached her hand out for him. Duncan looked at Elisa for a brief moment and saw the exuberance on her eyes. Elisa smiled at Duncan and Duncan paused shortly.

Duncan sighed and rolled his eyes. "Oh hell…"

Duncan slowly took Elisa's hand and when Duncan grabbed Elisa hand, she happily dragged Duncan's arm and Duncan said "H-hey!"

Duncan and Elisa went up to the stage with other people and they danced for a while.

Duncan looked aside and said in a grumbling tone "This is so embarrassing..."

Elisa pushed Duncan's shoulder gently and said "Come on loosen up…"

Duncan sighed heavily and just let it go... Duncan proceeded to dance with Elisa and they both did the classical Medieval Dance by doing the basic movements. They both did single steps forward simultaneous where the dancer starts with the left foot, then taking one step forward to bring the right foot forward. They both gently touch their palms together and walk around slowly in a circle.

Elisa was laughing and Duncan couldn't help but slightly bare his teeth a little. Duncan and Elisa continued to dance while the Bards were playing their instruments.

Moments later, Duncan and Elisa exited the Bard's College and continued their journey.

Elisa spread her arms due to exhilaration and yelled with ecstasy "That was entertaining! Thank you, Duncan!"

Elisa quickly hugged Duncan and Duncan grumbled exasperatedly "Get… off… of…"

Duncan stopped talking and softened his face with composure. He briefly looked down at Elisa for a moment and as she hugged him, he smiled at her.

Duncan said in a warm tone "I'm just glad that you are happy…"

While Elisa hugged Duncan, she smiled even more and felt warmer due to that response.

Night appeared and the moon was out shining on the landscape. Elisa had one more thing to show Duncan. The weather was getting dark and Duncan and Elisa needed to do one more thing before they finish the day.

"Anyway, there's someplace else that I want to show you. It will… in a way fascinate you."

Duncan folded his arm and raised one brow up. "I hope isn't a place that will dissatisfy me."

Elisa gave a bright smile and said "It won't…"

Duncan and Elisa finished talking and they walked through the woods of Skyrim. While the two were explore the green woods. Elisa oddly began to jump multiple times to catch something and Duncan was wondering what Elisa was doing.

Duncan asked "What are you doing?"

Elisa replied "I'm trying… to catch a butterfly…"

Elisa jumped again and she finally caught the butterfly. "Finally… I got it!"

Duncan approached Elisa and examined what she had within her hand. She opened her hands and said "It's called a Luminous Butterfly… I read that they glow in the dark. I never get to see one until now."

Duncan folded his arms and replied "Butterflies are pretty unique creatures because of their colours. The colours impress me the most because it represents many things."

Elisa looked at Duncan and said "Just watch…" Elisa opened her hands and freed the butterfly from her grasped. The butterfly began to glow due to the darkness and Elisa was amazed. She said "Wow…"

Duncan folded his arms and said "Wow, indeed."

Elisa continued to walk happily like a little girl and by putting her hands behind her back. She climbed on the stone wall. She spread her arms out and balanced the wall like a little child.

Duncan looked at Elisa and said "Elisa, stop being childish. Get down from there."

Elisa said happily "Okay."

She jump down on the grass and sat down beside the lake next to them. She took her lute out of the bag and she began to sing a song called _Cruelty Makes Things Beautiful._

 _"#Cruelty makes things beautiful; makes things beautiful  
Our hearts allow us to fight but they're fragile#"_

Elisa gave a warm smile at Duncan and gave him the lute. "Now you try."

Duncan began to stutter and shook his head rapidly "I-I don't know how-"

Duncan stared at her for a bit and saw the happiness on her face. He sighed and gave it a try _"#Cruelty makes things beautiful; makes things beautiful…#"_

Elisa was pleased and said in an encouraging tone "That's it."

Duncan immediately had forgotten the lyrics. He paused for a moment and looked at his forehead. _"#Our hearts allow us to fight but they're fragile…#_ Shit, I forgot…"

Elisa squinted and pouted her lips. She said "Oooh… Little off tone. Let's try together."

They both sang together and Elisa was enjoying her time with Duncan. They both sang in a beautiful melody.

Both of them sang at the same time _"#Cruelty makes things beautiful; makes things beautiful#"_

Duncan immediately stopped and yelled due to absurdness "This is… ridiculous!"

Elisa glared and shouted "Duncan!"

Duncan stared at Elisa for a brief moment and then reluctantly agreed. "*Sigh* Fine…"

Elisa said slowly "Okay, on three. One… two… three."

Duncan played the lute in a slow pace while Elisa sang. They tried to make the song sound slow and romantic. Elisa stood up and sang while she was walking on the grass. She then stood still and looked at the river while she was singing. Elisa then closed her eyes and folded her arms. Duncan began to get the hang of the rhythm and continued to string the Lute. Duncan then began to give more of an enthusiasm into the song. Elisa walked towards Duncan and gave a warm smile. Elisa was impressed and began to admire Duncan's singing.

 _"#Cruelty makes things beautiful; makes things beautiful  
Our hearts allow us to fight but they're fragile  
Truth is a sincere thing and a lie is a deceiver  
Wrath can consume us but then we'll learn acceptance  
We can't control ourselves, we continue to struggle_

 _Cruelty makes things beautiful; makes things beautiful  
Enough sacrificing, let's hold each other's hand  
Melancholy is buried within us but we can overcome it.  
Darkness can release a beast, a frightening one within a man  
We can descend into madness but it can be countered_

 _Cruelty makes things beautiful; makes things beautiful  
Wrath will consume us, however forbearance will be forged  
Grief is a part of life and we will experience it one day  
Who's the one to blame for our mistakes, for our sorrow?  
No matter how hard we try, we cannot escape the truth_

 _Cruelty makes things beautiful; makes things beautiful  
Open our eyes to the true light and we will see the shine  
Tears will drop from our eyes; feeling the sky's sorrow  
Love is a powerful word and hate is a tool for anger  
Please help us within this land of goats and sheep_

 _Cruelty makes things beautiful, makes things beautiful#"_

They both sang in a beautiful melody and Duncan continued to play the lute. Duncan and Elisa made an excellent combination. It was a tear dropping moment between these two.

After the beautiful song, Elisa praised Duncan due to his efforts and Duncan responded with a heart-warming grin.

Elisa jumped with exhilaration and said happily "You were great, Duncan."

Duncan wiped his nose with his index finger to hide his smirk. "No, I wasn't. You did most of the work."

Elisa gave a warm smile and said "But I heard your voice."

Duncan chuckled "Indeed, you have."

Duncan and Elisa continued to walk through Skyrim. They both encountered green branches blocking their paths. Elisa used her sword to cut the branches and proceeded forwards. Elisa paused for a moment and abruptly ran off.

Duncan felt quick worried and Elisa shouted "Hey Duncan, come here!"

Duncan asked "Huh!?"

Duncan ran towards Elisa and said "Elisa, where are you going!?"

Duncan finally caught up with Elisa and he found her beside a river. The river had subtle tides that caused the waves to be calm and still. The moon's light shone on the river, causing it to sparkle. The sparkling water caused a reflection on their eyes. Elisa dipped her hand within the water and she gave a short giggle. As Elisa swiped her hands left and right inside the river, you could hear the wash of the ocean.

Duncan finally caught up with Elisa and asked "What's the matter?"

Elisa replied "This place is beautiful."

Duncan folded his arms and smiled. "You're right. Skyrim has a beautiful face behind it when it's not trying to kill you."

Elisa smiled at Duncan and said "Now you know that Skyrim isn't in complete chaos."

Duncan narrowed his eyes and said "You said that 'This isn't a happy place to live in.'"

Elisa gave a cunning smile and blinked seductively. "I've never said that you couldn't enjoy yourself in it..."

Duncan tapped Elisa on her shoulder and Elisa looked at Duncan. "Hm?"

Duncan said "Hey Elisa, check this out."

Duncan picked up a stone and tossed it across the river. The stone went far away from the river and created a huge distance. Duncan and Elisa could see the ripples of the stone's effect.

Elisa claimed and she raised her head. "Hah! I could do better."

Duncan frowned and questioned Elisa "Oh really?"

Elisa smiled and looked at Duncan with her eyes. "Watch and learn."

Elisa gave an attempt and surpassed Duncan's throw. Her stone recoiled with the ripples of the lake, doing the 'skipping stones' trick and created a large gab from Duncan's rock. Elisa crouched and looked at Duncan. Duncan was amazed and Elisa smiled back at him. They eventually encountered baby Mudcrabs along with their mother.

Elisa tilted her head a little due to the absorption of cuteness. She said "Aww, look at those baby Mudcrabs."

Duncan drew his sword and prepared to kill them. "I'll kill it."

Elisa immediately stopped Duncan by placed his hand in front of him and said "Wait! They're with their mother."

Duncan sheathed his swords and protested "Why should I have empathy for animals who try to kill me?"

Elisa looked at the mudcrabs and said "They have a family Duncan. Everyone has… "

Duncan agreed and sheathed his swords. He said "Valid point."

She said "That reminds me… My parents were killed by bandits… Why do you think people become bandits? I asked my sister that question but she didn't give me much of an answer."

Duncan shook his head and said "I don't know… They must have lost their motives in life or they had no choice…"

Elisa looked at Duncan and said "To me… There's always a choice…"

Elisa stood up and looked at Duncan. "Hey Duncan, I want to show you a place that is very special to me."

Duncan gave a whiny expression and said "Don't tell me it's another place that we could dance again."

Elisa shook her head and said "No, it's a surprise."

Duncan reluctantly agreed and squint his right eye. "Okay..."

 _Duncan and Elisa continued their journey around Skyrim. After a brief walk, they abruptly encountered a place filled with Imperial soldiers' corpses. The place was filled with bloodshed and severed limbs scattered around the grass. Soldiers were missing their heads due to the attack. When you look closer at their decapitated heads, you can clearly see the tip of their spines revealing. The corpses were decayed thus transforming them into skeleton, which black flesh remained on their skins. Ropes were wrapped around the soldiers' necks and they were tied to a tree, moving slowly left and right while being hanged. Some had bags on their heads which were stained with ancient blood. Some soldiers sat on the floor covered in blood as if they had a hangover. Some wore steel armour but it became rusty. Some wore their common attire but they tore due to aging. A carriage was covered with a white blanket but the whiteness faded away due to the amount of dirt and stains. Elisa gasped due to shock but Duncan did not show much of a reaction. One of the corpses, who were hanged, had a sign nailed on him. It was written in blood and it said "THESE ARE YOUR MEN GENERAL TULLIUS! HOW MANY BODIES DO WE HAVE TO PILE UP FOR YOU TO SURRENDER? THE STORMCLOAKS WILL DEVOUR THE REST OF YOUR ARMY AND CAUSE YOUR HEAD TO ROLL!"_

Duncan looked at Elisa and asked "Elisa, are you feeling okay?"

Elisa nodded nervously and had an uncomfortable face "Y-yes, just experiencing an unpleasant sight."

Duncan grabbed his chin and said "I'm guessing this is where the Stormcloaks execute their enemies. I believe they are doing it to intimidate the Imperial Legion."

Elisa replied while she looked at the hanged corpses "War… it's a horrible thing."

"Elisa, war will always happen and people will be killed. It's the way of life."

Elisa held her arms and looked down on the ground with sadness.

Duncan looked at the white blanket on the carriage and said "I'm going to see what's inside…" Duncan then approached a blanket and hesitated to reveal what was inside. When Duncan lifted the blanket, Duncan opened his eyes and gasped in terror. It revealed to be children and innocent people whose bodies were being piled up. Each of the corpses was lying on top of each other and the carriage was stained with dark blood. The civilians' skins were pale and their bodies were covered in blood. Some of their limbs were crushed and their heads were missing.

Duncan got infuriated and snarled "These are civilians… Elisa, why the hell would they do something like this?"

Elisa stood there with her eyes widened and she didn't react or respond. She stood there shaking due to trauma and she quivered quietly.

Duncan approached Elisa and tapped on her shoulder. "Elisa!"

Elisa jumped and looked left and right rapidly in severe panic. "Huh-huh, what!? Oh… were you talking to me?"

Duncan replied "Yeah…, who else would I be talking to?"

Elisa apologized and said in a troubled tone "Oh s-s-sorry…"

Duncan gave the thinking pose and asked "Mmm… Is there something wrong?"

Elisa shook her head rapidly and replied "No-no, why do you ask?"

"Because of the way you're reacting. You look like you've seen a ghost."

Elisa was speechless and said "Uhhh…"

"It's your sister isn't it?"

Elisa crossed her arms in disturbance and said sadly "Please don't discuss about it…"

Duncan rubbed the back of his head and replied "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up…"

A Stormcloak Soldier named Arno appeared with a shovel in his right hand. He had a blond chin length hair and a blue war-paint on his right eye. He spotted Duncan and Elisa by the no-man's land.

Arno approached Duncan and Elisa and yelled "What the hell do you two think you are doing here!? State your business!"

Duncan replied "Don't worry; my friend and I here were just passing by. We don't want any trouble."

Arno was satisfied by that response and said "Oh? I'm here trying to dig up the grave for these poor people... I want to bury them to display my respect unlike those other sons of bitches. So I best advise you to continue your journey."

Duncan asked "How did the civilians die?"

Arno reluctantly answered and sighed "It was our own fault… I was with my captain and a few other patrols. We were firing mortars at a village called Peatsland; where the Imperials control. I tried to convince my captain that he needed to think about the consequences of his actions but… he refused to listen to me. In war, who argues with a superior and gets away with it." Arno shrugged his shoulders.

He continued "So I told him that he shouldn't fire the mortars because they may be civilians and even children occupying the area, however my captain was a superior and an upper class, he would not listen to me because I'm a sergeant. He said if I do not follow direct orders, it would be committed as treason. I would be executed for committing such a crime…"

Duncan asked "What else happened?"

Arno sighed with a sad expression on his face and continued to speak. "So, we fired the mortars and the mortars hit everybody within the village. Soldiers and civilians were crying in pain, begging for help. One soldier was crawling on the grass while his legs were crushed. He tried to plead for the captain's help by grabbing his ankle but my captain kicked him off. Worst of it…, I witness a little boy die within my arms…"

Arno shook his head in absurdness and disgust. He continued "The boy was about… seven and his face was crushed that I could see the red muscles under his skin and… his lips were torn, revealing just his broken teeth. I wept so much that my eyes went dry."

Elisa covered her mouth in discomfort and said "Oh my gods…"

Arno shook his head in complete sorrow and said "And my captain showed no remorse for what he had done. He said 'This isn't our fault, they got in the way.' I was fumed with severe anger and I said 'Are you serious! This is all your doing! I told you not to fire the mortar but you refused to listen! You turned us into fucking murderers!' My comrade tapped on my shoulder to refrain me from speaking any further. As soldiers, we must follow our duties even if we detest them."

Duncan looked at the message and asked "Sorry for asking too much but… why did you put up that message?"

Arno replied "I didn't put it up… It was my captain and he ignored the fact that he killed those people. He didn't want to be held back by emotions like a heartless fuck. He used those words to send the Imperials a message."

Duncan looked down with sadness and Elisa stood there without saying a word.

Arno snarled "'We had no choice… We had no fucking choice.' He kept saying!"

Arno then looked aside with anger and snarled "That son of a bitch Ulfric… Things would have been better without him."

Arno rubbed his forehead due to frustration and said "You two should get going because I have work to do."

Elisa looked at Duncan with a sad expression. Duncan nodded and said "We'll be going now..."

Arno looked at the bodies with dejection and said with muse "I think that's best…"

Duncan and Elisa continued to travel and Duncan asked "Elisa, are you okay?"

Elisa held her arms while walking and she stopped. Elisa turned furiously towards Duncan and snapped. She snarled "That act is just disgusting to me! People don't care who they kill like that captain; they sometimes laugh and enjoy it. They just… kill people and loot their corpses for petty reason such as money."

Duncan gave a sad look towards Elisa and said "Elisa…"

Elisa held her arms tighter in anger and she continued "People are always like that in this world, they don't see them as human beings. It's sick, it's disgusting. It's evil! They just-"

Duncan gave serious eyes and yelled "Elisa!"

Elisa widened her eyes and looked down. She began to apologize and said sadly "I'm so… sorry… I forgot that…"

Duncan said "It's okay. People usually kill for power, honour, glory and dominance. We all want to feel rewarded, don't we? In life, we all chase for something."

Elisa asked sincerely and innocently "Duncan, how does it feel… for you to kill someone?"

Duncan paused for a brief second and grabbed his chin in disturbance. "Killing is always bad but we need to do to survive. That's the rule of Tamerial now."

Elisa gave Duncan innocent eyes and a sad expression on her face. She asked "Do you think killing… is right or necessary? Because… those people that we have been killing, they have a family just like us…"

Duncan gave Elisa a serious face and he said "I know… Forsworn, bandits, warlocks, vampires… They all have names, families and friends… who commit the worst atrocities for various reasons… Reasons to help themselves… Reasons… for whom they love… but… we shouldn't let that get to our heads, right? They're no winners within Skyrim… just survivors…"

"I'm so sorry for bringing this up but do you have any regrets of killing in your work?"

Duncan groaned lightly and paused for a brief moment. "More than you can ever imagine… I didn't like killing some people because mercenary is not fun but dangerous. Some people I have to kill because they were a part of a contract. I know I shouldn't be killing those people but I have to because if I don't…, innocents will die." Duncan looked aside with guilt and sighed. Elisa nodded with realization.

Elisa held her arms and walked in muse and sadness. Duncan had a very concerned face while he looked at Elisa and they eventually arrived at Yellowseed graveyard. It was the place that Elisa wanted to take Duncan.

Duncan asked "It's a graveyard, why are we here?"

Elisa replied "I need to pay my respects. I come here every month to visit my sister's grave. I pray to her and bring her flowers."

Duncan said "I've never been to a graveyard but I really wish I could have met your sister."

Elisa sadly smiled and said "I will predict that you two will make good friends."

Duncan gave a small smile and replied "My thoughts too."

Elisa said "I can tell she is happy by watching us but it's kind of juvenile speaking to the dead."

Duncan folded his arms and said "Heh. Don't worry; nothing is normal in a world like this."

Elisa brought out a Limonium from her bag and placed the flower beside her sister's grave.

The gravestone said

 _"R.I.P_

 _Mai_

 _4E 169 Evening Star 25th of Loredos - 4E 194 First Seed 5th of Middas_

 _I love you beloved sister. I hope you have a good rest and we would meet each other in the afterlife."_

Elisa looked at the grave with depressing eyes and said sadly "I love you big sis…"

Duncan joined Elisa by kneeling down on the ground and placed his sword next to Mai's grave.

Elisa frowned and asked "Duncan, what are you doing?"

Duncan smiled at Elisa and replied "Doing the same thing."

Elisa gave a serious face to Duncan and said "I don't want to be rude right now but this doesn't concern you."

Duncan gave a bit of a smile and said "I just wanted to be kind."

Elisa gazed at Duncan with her sad and innocent eyes. She said in a warm and thankful tone "Thank you…"

Duncan smiled and replied "You're welcome."

Duncan brought out a bottle of ale out of his backpack and gave it to Elisa to show his sympathy.

Elisa glared at Duncan and said "Duncan, ale really?"

Duncan smiled and said "It's to cheer you up."

Elisa agreed and said "Well, one bottle will not harm me."

Elisa drank a bottle but coughed due to the strength of the alcohol. She struggled to talk and she said "This thing… *Cough* is strong… How do you drink this stuff?"

Then she eventually drank it in one go since she had no experience in tasting alcohol and Duncan was shocked.

"Elisa! You're not supposed to drink the entire bottle in one go."

Elisa's vision went hazy and she struggled to stand still. "Sorry… I shouldn't… have…"

Due to the intoxication, Elisa became drunk and she said all types of things.

Duncan mumbled to himself "After one bottle, she got drunk in seconds."

Elisa struggled to stand due to the drunkenness. She abruptly fell into Duncan's arms and Duncan quickly caught her before she fell on the ground. Duncan shouted "Careful!"

Duncan thought about his rash decision and mumbled "Duncan, you did it again…"

Elisa laughed and kneeled down and placed her head near Duncan's chest. She said half-heartedly "Duncan, please carry me."

Duncan asked "Why?"

Elisa begged childishly "Pleeeeeeeeeeeease."

Duncan frowned in embarrassment and said "Okay…"

Duncan piggybacked Elisa and Elisa wrapped her arms around Duncan tightly. They travel to the Four Shields Tavern for Elisa to sober up.

Elisa laughed even more and rocked on Duncan's back. She was laughing in an exhausted and unenergetic way.

Duncan panicked as she was moving back and forth. He said desperately "Elisa, stop!"

Elisa whispered near Duncan's ear in a seductive and slow way "Okay… just for you…"

Elisa rested her cheek on Duncan's hair and grinned "This reminds me of a place at a fountain where two people kissed."

Duncan sighed and Duncan walked towards the inn. They arrived and he dropped Elisa beside the entrance. Elisa was dizzy and she couldn't stand.

Duncan said "Wait here."

Elisa replied "A-aye, Brown Warrior…"

Duncan shook his head due to the juvenility of Elisa and he entered the inn.

He asked the innkeeper, Faida "I would like to rent a room with two please. Hurry…"

Faida frowned and replied "Okay… sir that will be twenty Septims."

Duncan nodded and placed the money on the table. Duncan went back outside of inn. He discovered that Elisa was gone missing and he panicked.

Duncan swift his head quickly left and right and he yelled "Shit where has she gone!?"

He used the alteration spell Detect Life and he found Elisa at the roof of the inn.

She sat there and she waved her arms. She yelled with ecstasy "Duncan I love the view!"

Duncan got infuriated a bit and shouted "Elisa get down from here!"

Elisa hiccupped due to intoxication and she replied "If you say so."

Elisa leaped towards Duncan and Duncan was frightened. Elisa giggled as she went falling towards our hero's arms. He sprinted and grabbed her before she landed on the ground. Duncan displayed irritation and growled. Duncan dragged Elisa by the arm inside the building. They went inside their room and Duncan gave Elisa a sleeping potion.

Duncan was exhausted and said "Elisa, drink this..."

Elisa replied "Whhhhhyyyyyyyy?"

Duncan smiled exhaustedly and with his thumbs up. "Trust me."

"Thanks Duncan!" Elisa quickly kissed Duncan on the cheek and she drank the potion. She felt the potion go through her throat and instantly fell asleep. Duncan grabbed Elisa before she collapsed on the ground. He quickly undressed Elisa and placed her Ebony Armour inside the cupboard.

Duncan saw her orange bikini and mumbled "I feel like a fucking pervert right now…"

Duncan gave the 'romantic carry' and gently placed her on the bed. Elisa slept sideways and Duncan moved the duvet covers upwards to comfort Elisa. Elisa smiled warmly and slept like a baby by snoring lightly.

Duncan smiled and rubbed her right cheek gently. "I'll be back…"

Duncan exited the inn and went on his path. Elisa continued to sleep on the soft bed.

Many hours went by and morning struck Skyrim. Elisa gave a couple of twitches with her eyes. She groaned and opened her eyes weakly. She mumbled lightly "Duncan…"

Elisa awoke from her bed and sat right up. She rubbed her eyes with her palms and looked left and right. She couldn't find Duncan anywhere. She looked down to her bra and she discovered herself in her orange underwear.

She got infuriated and she yelled wildly "Son of a-!"


	6. Chapter V – Blood & Broken Bones:

**Author's Note: Hey guys, I have returned with a delightful chapter. Thank you, guys for keeping investing into the story. I hope it is engrossing to you and I hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

 **Chapter V – Blood & Broken Bones:**  
 _Duncan arrived at the village called Dragon Bridge. Duncan arrived at the inn to see if the bulletin board had any jobs available._

Duncan approached the paper on the bulletin board and examined it.

It said _"Please help! Cannibals are threatening the area and we need assistance of eliminating the threat.  
Please visit the Contractor: Horgeir the Lumberjack"_

Duncan snatched the note and examined it. Duncan sneered and looked at the note with intrigue "Oh-ho. You guys are going to see what's coming but in a way that you will feel… apprehensive."

Duncan smiled with excitement and Duncan took the note with him. Duncan went towards Horgeir's location. Horgeir was continuing his everyday job, chopping blocks of wood day and night.

Duncan approached the man whilst he was working and Horgeir asked "Do you need something?"

Duncan replied "Yes, I'm a mercenary for hire and you are the contractor. It had something to do with cannibals within this region, am I correct?"

Horgeir thought for a brief second and said "Oh that! I need you to eliminate the cannibals within the area. I heard rumours of cannibals abducting women for an unspecified reason. I need you to go there and teach them a lesson."

Duncan asked "Where is the location of this place?"

Horgeir replied "Not far from here… One of the survivors said Camp Mayhem and it is located east of Dragon Bridge. I believe the best route is the main road and I will give you 1,500 gold for your service."

Duncan nodded and said "Thank you."

Duncan stopped with his index finger in the air and asked "Wait a minute… Can I please borrow your horse?"

Horgeir looked at his horse Yasmin and he said "Oh Yasmin? She's an iron one if you ask me. Please don't get her killed because she and I are best friends."

Duncan nodded attentively and said "I won't."

Horgeir smiled and said "Good."

Duncan departed from Horgeir and went to his horse stable. Duncan climbed on Yasmin and galloped towards their destination.

Horgeir frowned and widened his eyes with sadness. "What did I just agree to…?"

After a few hours, the sun was setting and the sky was fairly orange. There were a few clouds in the sky and they were still. The shadows were long due to the level of the sun. The character's faces lighted pale orange due to the sunlight. Duncan had reached Camp Mayhem and dismounted. He hitched Yasmin and Yasmin shook her head rapidly whilst she sniffed her nose. Duncan had a brief look around and he eventually saw the cannibals. The cannibals were performing a ritual. Duncan noticed that the corpses were mostly female and they were placed on the tables. Most of the bodies were rotten and decayed. Some of the corpses were pinned against the wall for decoration. The. The pins were impaled on their hands and feet while the blood was stained on the wooden stake behind them. A crow rested on the stake and it pecked on the wood. Some were hanging upside down and their clothes were stained with blood, mud and sweat. Duncan squeezed his face and was disgusted by the sight of that.

Duncan mumbled "Fucking sickos…"

The leader of the Cannibals yelled with his arms in the air "Here! Here! We call towards you Hagraven for everlasting life! We desire for you to grant us immortality from your ancient power! Provide us your blessing! Now bring-"

Duncan walked towards the ritual and the cannibals turned around. They detected Duncan approaching behind them.

The cannibal alerted his nearby alias and said "A wonderer comes to our hideout! State your presences here wonderer or you will meet your end!"

Duncan said in intimidating tone "You guys are sending threats into my land and I will not let that side!"

The cannibal replied "Or what, you're going to carve our faces with your butter-knife sword!?"

Duncan scowled "You guys have two options, surrender now or die because there is no third option, especially from a guy like me."

A female cannibal shouted "Do you have stones within your ears? Get your middle-eastern gorilla arse out of here!"

"That doesn't matter anymore, we have the advantage. Men, rip his bollocks off and cook it in our soup!"

Duncan shook his head and drew his swords. "They never learn…"

Duncan used the spells Ebonyflesh and Dragonskin to his advantage. A cannibal used his crossbow to shoot Duncan but Duncan evaded it by rolling.

One cannibal whispered and clicked his fingers left "You take him on the left. I'll take him on the right."

The other cannibal nodded strongly with nervousness and said "Right."

They both tried to strike Duncan simultaneously by charging at Duncan fiercely.

The cannibal on the left held his Warhammer firmly and glowered with a furious yell "You're dead asshole!"

Duncan, however easily countered them by blocking the two's attack. Duncan kicked the left one on the leg and impaled the right on the knee. The left one flipped towards the ground and the right one used his hands to cover up the wound and collapsed on the floor. On the floor, he cried "Fuck!"

Duncan impaled both in the stomach by his two swords. The female cannibal used many swings on Duncan and Duncan swayed his body. The female cannibal used a vertical slash on Duncan but Duncan blocked the attack. Duncan used his blade to push the female cannibal back and used the Wall of Fire spell to burn the female cannibal. The female cannibal's flesh melted away, she screamed in torment and agony. The cannibal with the crossbow reloaded and tried to shoot Duncan again.

The bolt of the crossbow hit Duncan's chest and he grunted in pain. Duncan snarled "Argh, son of a bitch!" Duncan pulled the bolt from his chest and snapped it with his fingers.

The cannibal with the crossbow reloaded again and prepared to take aim at Duncan. He whispered with contempt "Off to Oblivion ye bloody cock nock."

Duncan sprinted towards another cannibal beside him and used him as a human shield to block against the next shot. The cannibal, who was grabbed by Duncan, collapsed on the floor while the bolt was on his chest. There was only one left and Duncan sprinted towards the last one but the cannibal used his crossbow to shoot Duncan. Duncan deflected the bolt with his blade and the cannibal panicked. The cannibal struggled to reload by racking the strings back and forth quickly. The cannibal yelled desperately "Oh fuck! Oh fuck!"

Duncan used his right foot to spin left and used his left sword to severe the cannibal's arm. He cried loudly in pain as he watched while his arm squirting out loads of blood. Duncan used his right sword to severed his head as the final blow and the cannibal's bloody head went rolling on the ground like a ball. The place was clear of the cannibals and Duncan did his signature sheathe by spinning his blades.

Duncan abruptly heard quiet footsteps from a distance and immediately swift his head right with a quick gasp. Duncan cautiously turned his body to locate the noise and shouted "Whoever is in there, come out! I can hear you because you're whining like a helpless deer whose been impaled by a prick!"

Somebody opened the door gently with fear within a shack and it revealed to be a young woman. She had a round face and natural lips. The woman had dark brown hair but it was untidy and brown eyes but she looked like she hadn't slept for days. She wasn't wearing any shoes and her clothes were torn. It was covered in dirt and bloodstains. Her body was covered in cuts and she had a large bruise below her right eye. Her lips were dry and wrinkly. Judging her appearance, she was beaten and raped by the cannibals.

The women raised her hands in the air and panicked in fear; she stuttered "It's okay… It's j-j-just me, an unarmed woman who is waiting to get to her house. I've been… I've been trapped in here for days without food or water to eat. T-they kidnapped me from… my home and they w-wanted to use me for necromancy but I luckily escaped and hid here. I-I w-was frightened… They said about a… uh… Hagraven."

Duncan sheathed his swords and asked "It's okay, I am a mercenary and I'm not here to hurt you but I need you to tell me where I can find this Hagraven?"

The woman nervously shook her head and replied "You can't find it. It haunts you if you do the ritual right."

Duncan paused for a moment and said "Stay here, I will go and investigate the scene."

The woman nodded anxiously and said "O-okay…"

Duncan went to investigate and eventually discovered a female corpse who was stripped naked with her breast exposed. Her skin was completely black and rotten and her mouth was left open. Her eyes just showed her sclera thus making it completely white. Duncan used his two hands to enlarge the area that was cut open. Blood was squirting out and made a watery noise. Duncan squint his right eye and quickly said in disgust "Nasty… Nasty… Nasty…"

Duncan looked deeper within the hole where the heart was amputated and he noticed that the heart was missing.

Duncan explained and said "This woman's heart was cut out. They were using the heart for the ritual."

The woman asked with a worried look on her face "What do you think they're going to do with that?"

Duncan picked up the blood-stained knife and examined it. "I don't know but they used this knife to amputate the heart. Seems like the blood fresh."

The woman looked at the body intently and she grabbed her chin. "Odd… The body is decayed but the amputation took place a few hours ago."

Duncan looked at the woman intently and asked "I figured… Her eyes are just showing her sclera… They must have performed something magical to her…"

The woman responded "All I know is that the woman's heart got cut out."

Duncan gave a firm look and asked "Did you see anything else?"

The woman shook her head quickly and Duncan asked "What's your name?"

The woman introduced her name with some level of nervous. "It's L-L-Lydra."

"Lydra, I need you to tell me the full story of how this incident took place."

Lydra grabbed her chin and looked up to the air. "Well… the full story is that I was abducted from my house when I was heading towards the supermarket. I was abruptly attacked by them and they grabbed me and knocked me unconscious. When I woke up, all I could see is the fabric of the bag they placed on my head."

Lydra held her shoulders and said "We were rounded up into different sections. They chained our hands tightly together so that we couldn't have a chance of escaping."

Lydra began to quaver and tremble. "T-t-they needed our b-blood… and t-the people who were pregnant... had the baby in their womb ripped out… I saw one woman stabbed… due to her resisting… They were amputating limbs and organs whilst the people were alive and-and all I heard was screaming."

Lydra covered her mouth and started to weep. Duncan wrapped his arms around her and tried to console her.

Duncan said in a persuasive tone "It's okay, they are all dead and there's no need to fear. If anything happens to you, just contact me."

Lydra looked up at Duncan while tears fell from her eyes and murmured "They are not all dead… *Sniff* they may be back for more."

Duncan shook his head and said "I doubt that."

Duncan released Lydra and then he preceded his investigation. Duncan eventually discovered another body but the body was also black and rotten. The smell was so foul that the flies were hovering over it.

Duncan squinted due to the foul smell and said "This body is rotten; judging by the looks of it, this woman was murdered a few days ago."

Duncan turned to Lydra and asked "What do you think they're doing Lydra?"

Lydra shook her head and said "I don't know but this woman she seems familiar… I saw her arms got amputated and they replaced her arms with the woman they were focusing the ritual on."

Duncan thought to himself for a moment and said "It's like they are recreating the body. They want use the human parts they sacrificed to summon the Hagraven."

Lydra looked at the corpse in muse and then Duncan found another corpse but it was still fresh. Duncan saw the corpse's womb amputated from her stomach. Duncan could see the foetus inside the mother's womb, lying dead on the table and covered in blood.

Duncan covered his mouth and said "Gods… Look at this unborn child…"

Lydra saw the foetus and covered her mouth in disgust. "These people are so dastardly…"

Lydra held her stomach due to queasiness and gasped quickly. She then abruptly vomited on the grass and Duncan pat her on the back. He asked "Hey, are you okay?"

Lydra lifted her head up while the back of her hand was on her mouth. She coughed briefly and replied "Yeah, I'm fine…"

Lydra coughed for a bit and gave a suspiciously look at the woman's corpse. "Wait… something is not right."

Duncan frowned with confusion and asked "What do you mean?"

Lydra wagged her index finger slowly in muse and asked "How come this body is still fresh but the others ones are rotten and decayed? Hmm… They were murdered roughly at the same day but they look surprisingly different."

Duncan looked at Lydra and firmly nodded. "Do you think that the person's soul was purloined?"

Lydra frowned in confusion and said "Through what method?"

Duncan gave the thinking pose and he said "This investigation is beginning to add up…" Lydra frowned at Duncan.

Duncan saw a dagger with a Soul Trap enchantment on it. Duncan examined the dagger and said "Soul Trap enchantment… But this dagger ran out of power…."

Duncan approached the female corpse that the cannibals were focusing on and grabbed the Black Soul Gem from the table. Duncan examined the Black Soul Gem and said "I think I found the answer…"

Duncan turned to Lydra and called her over. "Lydra come look at this."

Lydra appeared and said "This blade was used before but where is the soul?"

Duncan explained "The soul was released time ago and the cannibals used this soul gem to implant the soul within the body that they were focusing on. I think they wanted to resurrect the body…"

Lydra asked "Do you think this is some kind of experiment?"

Duncan shook his head and said "We cannot make assumptions yet because we must investigate the incident more. However, judging by the looks of it, when they were performing the ritual, many of their attempts were a failure."

Lyrda held her right arm nervously and said "Maybe that is why they have been sacrificing these women many times."

Duncan scratched his head and said "They must be persistent of becoming immortal."

Duncan looked at the table where the cannibals did the ritual and asked "Wait a minute… Where is the woman they were performing the ritual on?"

Lydra widened her eyes and said "The body has disappeared…"

"That means… Oh shit!"

Lydra asked anxiously "What!?"

Duncan shouted "The Hagraven is already summoned!"

Lydra exclaimed with shock "That's impossible! I would have seen them finished the ritual with my own eyes."

Duncan drew his sword immediately and looked around cautiously. Duncan eventually spotted the Hagraven behind them, laughing. The Hagraven used its fireball spell to hit Duncan and Lydra. Duncan quickly tackled Lydra to save her from the explosion and they both went crashing on the floor. Duncan and Lydra groaned on the grass and Duncan quickly got up and used his hand to pick up Lydra.

Duncan asked "That's a Hagraven!?"

Lydra replied "Yes! A female, who had abandoned her humanity to seek power and they are summoned through rituals. The cannibals were required to have several human parts to summon it."

Duncan scowled "No wonder some of those women were cut open from the stomach because they wanted to summon that!"

Duncan turned towards the Hagraven and pointed his sword at it. "I will hang you, you ugly piece of shit!"

Lydra ran towards to a small shack and took cover from there with a very cautious face. Duncan used Ebonyflesh and Flame Cloak to aid him in battle. Duncan charged and slashed the Hagraven with three blows. The Hagraven was wounded but was not fazed by Duncan's attack. The Hagraven screeched at Duncan with its sharp teeth and pouring saliva. The Hagraven's skin was coated in flames. Duncan bared his teeth and moved his head back. The Hagraven used its claws to attack Duncan, cutting his cheek but it wasn't too deep due to the protection of the Ebonyflesh.

Duncan stepped back and blood ran down from Duncan's left cheek. Duncan touched his cheek and examined the blood on his fingers. "Ah shit…"

Lydra yelled from the small shack "What do you want me to do!?"

Duncan raised his right hand up and yelled "Nothing, just stay there!"

Duncan charged towards the Hagraven and struck it with his swords. When Duncan tried to attack, the Hagraven blocked Duncan swords with its arms. The Hagraven prepared to counter attack with its sharp razor claws but Duncan dodged the attack in a near-miss. The Hagraven grabbed Duncan by the throat and launched him away. Duncan roughly brushed on the ground's surface while bits of grass went on his body. The Hagraven approached Duncan with a sinister face and impaled him in the stomach countless times with its claws. Blood squirted out of Duncan's stomach and his blood poured from the Hagraven's right claw. Duncan said in exhaustion "Ah… S-sh…it…"

Duncan used his Wall of Flame spell to burn the Hagraven's face. The Hagraven went back screaming and covering its face in pain. Duncan stood up in pain and he spat out blood on the grass. Duncan held his stomach and his wounds were getting worse. The Hagraven grinned and its malevolent eyes set on Duncan. It began to laugh cruelly and it charged a fireball spell on its right hand. Duncan used Dragonskin and the Hagraven shot the spell at Duncan. Duncan fell on the ground but luckily the protection of the spell prevented Duncan from melting. However, Duncan still felt flames coat on his left cheek. Duncan screamed in severe pain and Duncan slapped his left cheek rapidly to prevent the fire from conquering his face. Duncan brought a special potion from his pocket and he then glanced at the Hagraven and it laughed in a screechy voice thus mocking Duncan.

Duncan panted and he looked at the potion with muse. "Seems like… there's no choice…"

Duncan proceeded to drink the potion and the potion caused Duncan to cough strongly. Blood poured from Duncan's nose. Duncan's skin turned pale, his veins on his face were dark blue with a disgusting tone of colour. His sclera to became pale yellow and Duncan's red eye veins increased. Duncan felt the power and pain surge through his body. Duncan slowly stood up and went berserk; he immediately sprinted towards the Hagraven and used many blows to attack. Each blow caused the Hagraven to shriek in torment and lots of blood was pouring out of its body. The Hagraven sat on the grass and used its right hand to flee. While the Hagraven was fleeing, trails of blood formed on the grass. Blood poured from Duncan's mouth and he bared his teeth in anger. Duncan threw one of his swords on its left leg. The Hagraven stopped fleeing and shrieked in agony. Duncan limped slowly towards the Hagraven and impaled it through the heart. The impact of the swords caused the birds flee away. Duncan twisted the blade within the Hagraven and he bared his teeth with all his strength. The Hagraven finally died and a spirit was released from of its body.

The spirit was floating in air and said in a warm tone "Thank you…"

Duncan eyes lids were heavy and he panted heavily due to the fight. Duncan abruptly collapsed on the grass and burst out blood from his mouth. Duncan's body was numb and he couldn't move his limbs.

Lydra used both of her hands to cover her mouth and gasped in shocked. She sprinted towards Duncan immediately and shouted while she grabbed his face. "Are you okay!? Talk to me!" Lydra jolted his body and gave him a rough shake.

Duncan couldn't hear anything and he vision became hazy. He closed his eyes slowly while he glimpsed at the darkness.


	7. Chapter VI – Sins & Nightmares:

**Author's Note: I have returned with a new chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it because I may not be writing for a long time due to business. I will return with another chapter very late but please be** **patient.**

* * *

 **Chapter VI – Sins & Nightmares:**  
 _After Duncan's brutal battle, he entered the dream state. The placed was drowned into pitch darkness without anything occupying it. There were no lights… no colours but… flames lit on the dark floor. Duncan walked around the nightmare for a bit and then he abruptly encountered a demon. The demon was covered in flames and its eyes were replaced with white emptiness. It didn't contain any teeth or ears; its face was covered in flames._

The Flame Demon shouted "IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN YOU DUNCAN! YOU HAVE BEEN A BURDEN TO HIM AND YOU THINK YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR FRIENDS! YOU THINK THAT YOU'RE AN AVENGER! YOU'RE MAD, VILE AND DISGUSTING! HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT YOU EARLIER!"

It vanished towards Duncan and restricted his movement. Duncan vision went blurry due to the demon's heat. The fire demon grinned sinisterly and grabbed Duncan's arms tightly. Duncan squirmed and screamed due to the torment. "A-AH… AH… AH ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Duncan's vision cuts to black and he stood up slowly without a word. Duncan's vision began to become clearer and Duncan looked around for a moment. He continued to walk further down the path of complete darkness.

The demon vanished towards Duncan and shouted "YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN A BETTER PERSON IF YOU HAD JUST CONTINUED YOUR LIFE! BUT YOU CONTINUED FOR WHAT PURPOSE!?"

Duncan faltered in a weak tone "All I wanted is to prove to my dad that I could help him…"

The demon chided Duncan and yelled "YOU'RE NO HELPER! YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED ALONG WITH HIM! ONE DAY YOU'LL CROSS THE BARRIER! AND WHEN THAT HAPPENS, I WILL RELISH IT!"

The fire demon vanished and Duncan saw Elisa by herself, sitting down and curling up in misery. He slowly approached Elisa but before he could approach her, she was lit on flames. Duncan sprinted towards Elisa but an invisible wall blocked his path. All he could hear is scream from Elisa's mouth. The vehement flames ignited her and it caused her face to melt.

She looked at Duncan with disfigured face and asked "Duncan, why do you continue to do this…? You said that you 'have to' but no… you 'want to'."

Elisa's head rotated slowly in 180o and looked at Duncan with a sadistic and sinister grin while her eyes were filled with black ink. "YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS FOR YOUR FATHER'S LOVE BUT YOUR OWN SELFISH DESIRE! ARE YOU GOING TO KILL ME NEXT, AM I YOUR NEXT TARGET!? THEN DO IT!"

She laughed hysterically "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

A hole was created beneath Duncan's feet and Duncan fell down the endless abyss. Duncan felt guilty for a reason that he could not specify.

Duncan's vision fade to black in despair and he eventually regained consciousness. When Duncan woke up, he found himself in a white room without anything there. He saw a man in front of him but he couldn't clearly see his face due to his blurry vision.

The anonymous stranger approached Duncan and said "Duncan, I've been watching you for a long time… How you've endured your father's death and witness the pain that it has dealt you. You are broken but how broken will you be? Will you lose yourself in complete madness or will you face the true arts of reality?"

 _Duncan's vision became clearer and he rubbed his eyes. Duncan stood up and what he could see is a man with an average appearance. He had a medium skin tone and hairy arms. He had a short ginger bushy beard and a slightly round forehead. He had a muscular build and a 'Nordic' nose. He had ginger slightly thick eyebrows and a slightly thick oval face. The man had almond blue eyes and he was bald. He had thin lips and a sliver lion vintage ring located on his right index finger. He looked like he was in his late thirties and he was pretty tall. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his robes were opened up to show his legs. He wore black leather boots that reached towards his shin and a suede brown long robe that reached towards his shin. The robe he was wearing had two dark brown belts and a dark blue sash wrapped around his waist. His two top cream buttons were undone and they were slightly open to show his neck. His sheath was coloured brown but it had four golden symbols of animals' faces on both sides of the sheath. The animals were bear, lion, eagle and wolf. The sword's sheath was covered with gold at the bottom and tip of the sheath._

Duncan groaned and stood up with pain. He asked "Who are you?"

The stranger placed his fingertips together and walked around the room. "Life is not full of sweetness or bitterness. It's always bittersweet. We'll always encounter sadness and happiness but it doesn't last for long."

Duncan snarled "Answer the damn question!"

The stranger sneered with contempt "You're no fun… Umbra Anima or the man who leaves people to shape their own fate."

Duncan widened his eyes and glared "It's you! So what, you're going to send me into your graveyard?"

Umbra grinned and said "I can anticipate from your eyes, you're not afraid of what I am going to do." Duncan continued to glower at Umbra and Umbra sneered whilst looking at him.

"If you suspect that it was me that murdered your father; it will feel less interesting… I have no intentions of killing your father but what I want is your… 'entertainment.' This meeting is inevitable, you and I both know that, even if you deny it."

Duncan shook his head in confusing and was infuriated by that response. He snarled "Entertainment!? Do you think this is some kind of game to you?"

Umbra's body transformed into black smoke and he appeared towards Duncan within an instant. "Funny you should ask. Yes, and I wish for you to play it. You think I'm the true villain in this story but you're wrong. Humans are villains at one point and this land just proved it. Duncan, we can't make assumptions to things that we don't clearly understand." Umbra took his eyes off Duncan and walked away from him.

Duncan continued to glare and he said "I figured that you could do that… I suspect that you have more abilities up your sleeve."

Umbra used his power to teleport out of Duncan's view point and sat down on the chair he created from his magic. Umbra crossed his legs and said "I'm a man with many talents. I've been to many places and this place is very special. There are no heroes in this world but just fools believing that they're one. Many people claimed that the Dragonborn was a hero but to me…, I have sincere doubts. It's not the Dragon crisis that needs fixing, it's humanity itself. Ulfric Stormcloak has plagued this land due to his pride."

Umbra stood up and spread his arms apart. He gave the imitation of Ulfric and yelled "'Free the land because Nords are a chained to the empire's control!' But tell me… What has he freed so far?"

Umbra leaned forward on his chair and rested his cheek on his palm. "I detest black and white morality because I find it ludicrous and false… Evil and good is in everybody's heart, people should know that. Ignorance…"

Duncan was irritated by that response and impulsively yelled "Cut the bullshit! Why have you summon me here? Why don't you choose anyone else apart from me to do your worthless deed?"

Umbra replied "I stated the reason why because you are the most interesting person I've seen… for now."

Umbra used his ability to create mead and drank it in front of Duncan. He offered Duncan for some but Duncan responded with a glare on his face. Umbra asked "Want some?"

Duncan continued to give him a fierce glared and Umbra used his eyes to look up with muse. "Or… I could just rip you in shreds with my index finger but what fun will that be?"

Duncan held his head and asked "Wait… What if you're not real and this is just a dream?"

Umbra immediately lifted his palm up and used his palm to aim at Duncan. Duncan slowly kneeled and grunted in pain as Umbra burned mysterious letters on his left shoulder. Umbra created a brand on Duncan's shoulder and it said _"UA LXXVIII"_

Umbra smiled with mischievousness and said "I don't see why I should provide you with an answer that you will soon discover."

Duncan covered his shoulders and mumbled in an exhausted tone "Okay…, good point…"

Umbra drank his mead and continued "What I am saying, you need to be aware of what you are doing. You believe that you are doing it to resolve things. But trust me…, all you will receive is satisfaction and regret. I am curious on how your tale is going to unfold at the end."

Duncan looked at Umbra with his eyes and he said "Wait one question."

Umbra turned around and gave an annoyed tone "Mmmmmm…"

Duncan asked in a firm tone "Are there more of you?"

Umbra smiled in a sinister way and said "Do you think I conceal myself in this empty void and have only you to nestle with? There's nothing really unique about me in way the you think because they are more…."

Duncan brushed his shoulder and asked "Could you tell me their names?"

Umbra shook his head and said in a straight and simple answer "No, I hate being asked too many questions."

Duncan glared with a sullen look and said "Tch! I knew it would never be that easy…"

Umbra gave a small smile and said "That is why I am an excellent character because I like to keep things mysterious to the 'them'."

Duncan scratched his neck and asked "Who's 'them'?"

Umbra instantly said "This discussion will no longer go any further. Duncan, I hereby send you back to the world of mortals and keep doing your petty task that had been performed by many people."

Umbra fired a spell at Duncan and Duncan began to grunt in pain. Umbra grinned "Which, I find no amusement in…"

He fell on his knees and eventually Duncan returned to the real world as he awoke. Duncan's opened his numb eyes slowly and he looked left and right. Duncan found himself in a small cottage and lying on a bed. Duncan was feeble and he felt the pain in his stomach.

Duncan mumbled weakly "Where…"

Duncan got off the bed slowly and saw his abdomen wrapped around with bandages, covered in blood. His right cheek was covered by a large band aid. He walked around for a while to inspect the house and he encountered the same woman who was kidnapped. But this time she wore fresh clothes that were a long sleeve green dress and pair of brown leather shoes. She wore a white head wrap that was covering up her dark brown hair. She looked like a brand-new lady and she wore makeup with red lipstick.

Duncan was cautious and he raised his fists against Lydra. Duncan said quickly "Who are you and why have you brought me here!?"

Lydra jolted the food on the tray and panicked "It's okay-it's okay! You're in my house and I brought you fresh food and water. You just need to rest for a bit and regain your strength."

Duncan lowered his fist and rubbed his eyes. He said "It's you… You're the woman that I rescued from the cannibals earlier. Lydra, right?"

Duncan sat down on the bed and rubbed his face. He groaned with exhaustion and asked "What happened?"

Lydra made bread with water beside it, she placed the food beside Duncan and explained "I watched you slay the Hagraven but you collapsed whilst fighting the beast. When you drank that potion, your nose started to bleed and blood was coming out of your mouth. You were severely wounded and I needed to give you a health potion to save your life. I managed to remove the poison out of your body."

Duncan asked while he was in pain "How… did you do that?"

Lydra replied "My father was a surgeon during the Great war."

Duncan felt his shoulder hurting from Umbra's brand and he saw the brunt marks on his shoulder.

Lydra scrutinised Duncan's shoulder and asked "Bizarrely… Why does it show letters on your shoulder?"

Duncan looked at the brunt marked letters and then shook his head and raised his right hand. "It's nothing really brothering…"

Lydra squint her left eye and said suspiciously "Okay…"

Duncan asked "How did you drag me all the way here?"

"I found the horse that you were riding. I decided to place you on it and rode away. "

Duncan rubbed his forehead and said "Thanks…"

Lydra grabbed her chin and looked at Duncan intently. "You haven't actually told me your name."

Duncan held his forehead and mumbled "Duncan…"

Lydra placed her hand on her chest and said "I think I haven't told you my identity fully. I am Lydra and I used to work part-time at the temple in Whiterun. I had a father who was a surgeon but he passed away recently."

Duncan took the glass of water on the tray and took large gulps. Duncan sighed through satisfaction of cleansing his thirst. He wiped off the water on his lips and he asked "Do you have any other relatives that live here or are you the only one in this cottage?"

Lydra folded her arms and replied "Yes, I am the only person who lives here. I left my father a while back and I had enough money to purchase a property. Sadly, things haven't been peacefully due to the civil war. It was hard for me to travel to places because I avoid the battles on some roads."

Duncan looked up to the ceiling with muse and said "I feel you… My life hasn't been easy as well."

Duncan grunted through pain due his abdomen as he tried to stand up.

Lydra reached her hands out for Duncan and asked "Do you want me to help you?"

Duncan waved his right hand and shook his head. "No, no, no… I'm fine."

Duncan showed Lydra his gratitude and said "Thank you Lydra for saving my life."

Lydra sat down on the chair and crossed her legs. "I needed to repay the favour because you saved mine first."

Duncan smiled and said "All that matters now is that you are safe."

Lydra look aside for a brief moment and approached Duncan slowly. "Duncan…"

Duncan raised one brow and said "Hm?"

Lydra closed her eyes and kissed Duncan gently on the cheek. She back away slowly and said in a warm tone "Thank you…"

Duncan widened his eyes and touched his cheek. Lydra and Duncan abruptly heard a knock on the door and they both looked at the door with blistering speed.

Lydra said to the Duncan "You stay here, I'll get it."

Lydra approached the door and opened it. Lydra said to the person who was behind the door "Can I help you?"

The person who was at the door revealed to be Elisa and Duncan was surprised to see it was her.

Elisa placed her hands on her chest and said "Hello, I'm looking for my friend Duncan."

Lydra used her hand to point at Duncan and replied "You're just in luck. He's right here in my house."

Elisa nodded and said "Thank you very much."

Lydra turned to Duncan and said "Duncan, you have a guest who would like to see you."

Duncan scratched his head in confusion and said with shock "Elisa?"

Duncan approached Elisa whilst rubbing his face. He said "Elisa, I know you're mad but…"

Elisa dangerously walked up to Duncan with a furious face and tried to deliver a right hook but Duncan effortlessly blocked the punch with his hand. Elisa grunted multiple times to resist Duncan's block and then she threw her fist down with infuriation.

Elisa shouted "I can't believe you! You abandon me in a pub without saying anything. And now you nearly got yourself killed in a contract!"

Duncan gave himself a face palm and he was infuriated by Elisa's behaviour. "Grr… You! *Sigh* Elisa, being a mercenary is part of my job. I needed to rescue this lady from a bunch of human flesh eaters."

Elisa complained "Argh. I could have helped you to solve the matter but you were too stubborn to understand!"

Duncan poked his eyes out and gave a fake smile. "Look, I took care of the monster didn't I!?"

Elisa sighed and rubbed her forehead with her back hand; she then looked at Lydra. Elisa asked "Who's this?"

Duncan explained "This is the woman who rescued me whilst I fighting the Hagraven in battle. Technically, I rescued her first but she was kind enough to take me into her house."

Lydra said "My name is Lydra."

Elisa offered Lydra a handshake and said "Hi, my name is Elisa."

Lydra shook Elisa's hand and Duncan asked "Hey Lydra, do you know where my gear is kept?"

Lydra pointed and said "Back there in the storage."

"Thanks."

Elisa asked "Could you explain the whole story between you and Duncan?"

Lydra explained and Elisa nodded as she explained "Duncan rescued me from cannibals that wanted to use me for a ritual. They summoned a Hagraven and Duncan fought it. When he was at the verge of death. He drank a weird potion and it poisoned his body but I managed to extract the poison out. That potion he drank boosted his strength and tore the Hagraven to shreds."

Elisa lowered her shoulders and exhaled due to relieve. She looked at the air and said in a relieved tone "I thank the gods that Duncan is safe..."

Duncan approached the room while fastening his belt and said "I have to visit the man Horgeir to finish the contract. I require seeing him to accept my payment."

Elisa said "I need to come with you Duncan."

Duncan protested and said "No you don't."

Elisa lowered her arms and sulked "Come on, I could help in some way."

"I don't doubt it but I can't risk you getting hurt into dangerous threats."

Elisa folded her arms in annoyance and said "Well, you said that we needed to visit Calcelmo when he's done with the research."

Duncan sighed and scratched his head. He said "Fine, you make a valid point."

Duncan turned to Lydra and said "Thank you Lydra, for saving my life but I must go now. I wish you a good farewell and I hope we meet again."

Elisa nodded and said "Thank you for taking care of Duncan."

Lydra closed her eyes and placed her hand on her chest. She replied "It's okay, after all he did save my life."

Duncan provided Lydra some money and he said "Oh yeah… Here."

Lydra cupped her hands to together and Duncan placed the coins on it. She asked "What's this for?"

Duncan rubbed the back of his head and said "You're a sweet person for taking care of me… You need this money to take care of yourself. My best advice is to not wonder out at nightfall and make sure you remain in areas that are populated with people."

Lydra nodded along with her body and said "I understand and thank you..."

Duncan waved his hand and said "Farewell Lydra."

Elisa nodded and said "Goodbye Lydra."

Duncan and Elisa departed Lydra's cottage and Lydra shut her door. They then continued to travel towards the owner of the contract.

Duncan held his shoulder from minor pain and said unsettlingly "Elisa, I feel quite… strange."

Elisa looked at Duncan and asked "Why?"

"I encountered Umbra Anima in my dream, he gave me a brand."

Elisa widened her eyes and said in shock "You encountered Umbra!? What do you think he wants?"

Duncan shook his head and said "He said that he wanted my 'entertainment…'"

Elisa pinched her lip and asked "Do you think he may be watching us right now?"

Duncan looked down and he said "Probably, but we shouldn't let that get us worried…"

Elisa stared with trepidation and said "I've notice… The brand on your shoulder showed letters, _UA LXXVIII."_

Duncan held his shoulder and said "I'm guessing it means Umbra Anima 78."

Elisa asked "What does the '78' mean?"

Duncan shook his head and said "I don't' know…"

Elisa squint her left eye and slowly nodded in muse.

Duncan and Elisa eventually found Horgeir who carried the reward for Duncan.

Duncan pointed and said "There he is."

Duncan approached Horgeir and said to him "Hello sir, I completed the contract that you wanted me to do."

Horgeir was grateful and he said "Thanks, here's your gold as a token of my gratitude. Also, thanks for not getting Yasmin killed because a nice lady brought her back in one piece."

Horgeir gave Duncan 1,500 Septims for his assistance and Duncan was very grateful. Duncan smiled and said "Thank you."

Horgeir looked at his chopped woods and said "Alright, I have to get back to work. I don't want my wife bitching about my 'consumption' of alcohol… I don't see the harm of drinking, it just cools you down when you work for so long."

Duncan nodded with understanding and he said "Okay… I understand."

Duncan departed from Horgeir and approached Elisa. When Duncan approached Elisa, Elisa asked "Is this what you'll be going through after you finish work?"

Duncan nodded with muse and he said with a bit of sadness "When I finish contracts, I either see people weep in tears or just happy that I retaliated. The results are sometimes tragic…"

Elisa folded her arms and asked "Do you see anything suicidal?"

Duncan looked aside with sadness and said "Sometimes…"

Elisa anticipated Duncan's face and she looked down guilt. "Sorry… I shouldn't have pried."

Duncan raised his right hand and said "It's fine…"

They both continued to walk around Dragon Bridge. Evening approached, the sky was orange and the sun blended with the still clouds. The sun lowered due to the position of the earth and the city wasn't populated that much because many people were inside their homes. As Duncan and Elisa continued walking, they stumbled across a courier. The courier said "I have a letter for you and it's from the court wizard, Calcelmo."

Duncan took the letter from the courier and read it. Elisa tip-toed and looked at the letter intently.

It said _"Dear Duncan & Elisa,  
I have finally decoded the map of Otrulag that you have requested, please attend to me in Markarth.  
Yours sincerely, Calcelmo"_

Duncan finished reading the letter and said to Elisa "Elisa, we must visit Calcelmo right away."

Elisa said "I suggest we depart right now before any chaos awaits us."

Duncan and Elisa departed from Dragon Bridge and wondered the Skyrim landscape. Night approached and there was fair amount of clouds within the sky. The full moon was out and the moon size was small due to the distance between the earth and moon.

Duncan said "We should camp here to discuss our plans."

Elisa nodded and said "Good idea, I will ready the tents and you set up the cooking pots."

Duncan and Elisa set up the campsite for them to sleep. Duncan and Elisa placed their hands near the campfire and ate dinner before they went to bed. Umbra Anima appeared from an elevated mountain and he had a good view on Duncan and Elisa.

 _He was accompanied with an anonymous stranger beside him. The stranger looked like a Redguard with shaved hair. He had black hair and dark brown eyes. His beard was shaved and he looked like he was in his mid-thirties. He had a 'Nubian' nose and he was wearing a creamed colour trench coat. Umbra sat down on the edge of the mountain and crossed his legs while the anonymous stranger stood up. The stranger had a Hexagonal pocket-watch on his right hand. The material was made from dark gold and the handle of the clock was black metal. The numbers of the clock were in Roman Numerals and near the sides of the hexagon contain little writing. The writing said "Tempus non cessaverunt, vel contrarium, vel decelerated vel accelerato sed qui habet donum potest facere ea."_

The stranger looked at Umbra and said "So…, this is the man you are watching, Duncan isn't?"

Umbra sniggered and said "Yes… and he's with his partner Elisa. I'm so indecisive with him right now."

The stranger looked down at Duncan and he said "His appearance doesn't compel me, Umbra. What makes him so special to you?"

Umbra leaned forward and chuckled sinisterly. He rubbed his hands and sneered "His future is full of surprises and he is more interest than what meets the eye. If you continue watching, you would have the same opinion."

The stranger frowned to Umbra and said "You are so ambiguous, Umbra. What I do not comprehend is you not taking his soul right now."

Umbra smiled and he tilted his head right a little. He said "That will feel… underwhelming. I am curious on how he is going to unfold his tale and then I will perform whatever pleases me. 'They' are watching us, you know. I conceal details for my own benefits."

The stranger chuckled darkly "You're full of jests Umbra. How will you continue to play this little game of yours?"

Umbra chuckled with intrigue and examined Duncan intently. "Why thank you. I don't know… but we should let the future decide for that matter."

Umbra and the stranger disappeared from the world by teleporting so fast that the human eye cannot record it. Duncan felt a weird feeling and glared at the mountain in suspicion.

Elisa saw the expression on his face and asked "Duncan, what's wrong?"

Duncan paused for a moment and took his eyes off the mountain that Umbra was sitting on. He looked at Elisa and replied "No… nothing…"

Elisa examined Duncan and pondered. "Okay… Just let me know if anything is wrong. I'll be going to sleep."

Elisa covered her mouth and yawned due to weariness. She went inside her tent to rejuvenate her energy for tomorrow. Duncan paused for a minute and thought in suspicion. He then went to sleep and waited till the next day came.

After the two slept, tomorrow's morning approached the Fatherland. Duncan and Elisa reached the city Markarth to visit Calcelmo. The sun shone on the city and people; the sky was clear with no clouds occupying it. Architects were building new houses for the citizens to live. Merchants and storeowners were selling goods to the fellow customers. Citizens were outside spreading their clothes outside and children were playing. Some guards were doing their morning shift by keeping an eye on the city's people. Duncan and Elisa eavesdropped on four Markarth city guards who were outside the inn. The city guards were sitting around a table and drinking mead. They were playing the card game called Legends.

First guard looked at his cards and then analysed his friends to anticipate their moves. "I heard that General Tullius had finally captured Ulfric in Helgen."

Second guard placed his card down and replied "Yeah…, I heard that the Imperials had overwhelmed him during the incident. He should have brought more men to accompany him."

Third guard drew a card from his deck and scoffed due to Ulfric's downfall "Hmm… Seems like the Imperials had too much manpower at that moment."

Fourth guard frowned with bewilderment and asked "Wait a minute… How does General Tullius know the exact time to set up a trap for Ulfric?"

Second guard drank his mead and placed it firmly on the table. "I guess he didn't know that one of his men was a spy when he wanted to execute his plan."

First guard placed another card down on the table and concurred "Presumably…"

Third guard replied "The Imperials will execute him for murdering High King Torygg but I don't know when that will take place."

Fourth guard scratched his head in perplexity and asked "Wait… Who's going to be executed?"

The rest of the guards covered their faces with exasperation and exhaled due to the guard's ignorance. The Fourth guard looked at his mates with bewilderment and asked "What?"

The First guard glared at him with a sullen look and snarled "You're dumber than a shit in a donkey's arse. Ulfric is going to be executed, you nitwit."

The Second guard terminated the argument and said "Everybody, shut the fuck up and draw your next move. We need to enjoy this break as much as we can before we go back and gawk at people."

The Third guard grinned and ogled at the guards. "Maybe after this, we should visit the inn and meet that prostitute named Tina…? Talia…?" The third guard then scratched his head in confusion.

The Second guard sighed and said in a torpid tone "It's Tia…"

Meanwhile, after the guard's very awkward conversation. We cut back to Duncan and Elisa's sight. Duncan asked "Elisa, you've eavesdropped on that right?"

Elisa looked at Duncan and scratched her cheek. "Ulfric Stormcloak has finally been captured."

Duncan folded his arms and gave a serious look towards Elisa. "Do you that will the war to a conclusion?"

Elisa touched her chin and said "I don't know because anything could happen."

Duncan nodded firmly and said "True."

Duncan and Elisa headed near the Understone Keep and Elisa looked at the sky. She asked "Duncan, may I ask you something?"

Duncan replied "What?"

Elisa glared at Duncan and said in a serious tone "When you left me in the pup last night…"

Duncan rolled his eyes with exasperation as Elisa glared at him. "Argh…"

Elisa retained her composure and then gazed at the sky. "I had an exhilarating dream… I was deep inside the water and saw sea creatures such as fishes, whales and crabs."

Duncan widened his eyes and curled his lips. "Did you drown?"

Elisa chuckled and looked at Duncan with a bright smile. "No. Bizarrely…, I could breathe underwater. I heard the sea creatures singing a song to me…"

Duncan rubbed his face and asked "What were they singing?"

Elisa stretched her arms and groaned to fix her bones. "Uh… I don't know… Can't remember…"

Duncan shrugged his shoulder and said "In dreams, sometimes you can't remember everything… I sometimes experience being controlled in them."

Elisa put her hands behind her back and used her foot to rub the ground. She looked down and pouted "But me… I wanted the dream to continue but when I reached the air. I whipped my hair and that was it… I never wanted the dream to end…"

Duncan looked at Elisa and replied "Well… Sometimes…, dreams must end at some point; even if we don't want them to…"

Elisa looked down and sulked due to unfairness "That's inequitable…"

Abruptly, a boy named Flynn appeared in front of the two. He was roughly five and he asked "Sir, ma'am does any of you have a coin to spare?"

Elisa crouched and rubbed the kid's head gently with her palm. Elisa smiled warmly and said softly "Awww… You poor little thing, here… this is all I have…"

Elisa spared twenty Septims to the little tot and he was filled with contentment. "Thank you so much. You two have a humble and kind heart."

Flynn quickly hugged Elisa with ecstasy and smiled brightly. He departed by running away and Elisa smiled warmly as he ran.

Duncan folded his arms and smiled warmly. "Kids… Just watching them grow up…"

Elisa nodded and smiled warmly while she blinked her eyes slowly. "Yeah…"

Duncan looked at Elisa and asked "Don't you have those moments that you want to be a kid again…"

Elisa smiled at Duncan and said happily "Of course… I have it all the time."

Duncan used his eyes to look up and denigrated Elisa. "It clearly shows…"

Elisa then squinted at him and Duncan exhaled due to exasperation. He said "Argh. We need to get going to Calcelmo…"

Elisa nodded strongly and said "Okay."

Elisa followed Duncan and they both went towards Calcelmo's location. They both headed inside the Understone Keep and Calcelmo greeted Duncan and Elisa with passion. "Ah! My friends, you have finally return! I have finished my research that you have request."

Duncan smiled and folded his arms due to satisfaction. "Great Calcelmo, what does the message say?"

Calcelmo explained "When I deciphered the map, a message was written. The words were glowing in blue. When I translated the text, it said 'You are driven by desire and that desire will lead where you seek.' Now you know what procedure needs to be carried out. You no longer require my assistance."

Duncan nodded and said "We understand Calcelmo… But before we depart… We have a gift for you."

Calcelmo raised his eyebrows and replied "And what will that be?"

Moments later, Duncan and Elisa built the Dwarven Armour set and allowed it to stand up for a decent pose. The Dwarven Armour set was polished neatly with a magnificent shine. Elisa posed next to the armour and said in a childlike tone "Tada! Here's all of it."

Calcelmo was extremely delighted and gasped with exhilaration. "Ah! This is a beauty! Thank you, Elisa. I will put this to hard work."

Elisa walked towards the stone bench and sat down. She crossed her legs and asked with innocent eyes "Duncan, I know you really want to see your father but we do not have to do this…"

Duncan titled his head and stared at Elisa with a sharp nod. "After all we have been through…? Elisa, we made it this far… We might as well finish it…"

Elisa nodded slowly while she twiddled her thumbs. She lifted her eyes up slowly towards Duncan and said "Okay…"

Duncan looked at Calcelmo and said "Anyway, thank you for your help Calcelmo."

Elisa stood up and smiled with passion. "Thank you very much."

Calcelmo replied "Indeed. If you need me for a further support just arrive at my location."

Duncan and Elisa exited the Understone Keep.

Calcelmo used his index finger to swiped the armour's metal surface and placed his knuckles on his hips. He smiled with satisfaction and whispered with contentment "Extraordinary..."

Elisa asked "So where does map point us?"

Duncan opened the Map of Otrulag and the map glowed Ellnabel Ruins. Duncan then opened the map of Skyrim and pointed Ellnabel Ruins. "The location Ellnabel Ruins is located somewhere around a place called Orphan's Tear. It will be a very long swim, so I advise we use the waterbreathing potions as much as possible."

Elisa asked "Do you have some?"

Duncan replied "Yes, I have about five of them."

Elisa smiled and said "Good, let's get set."

Duncan and Elisa departed to find the Ellnabel Ruins and they explored the beautiful landscapes of Skyrim. The sun was shining bright and the sky was bright blue filled with some clouds. A white rabbit consumed the green glass and noticed two people approaching him. He immediately fled from them to avoid danger. When they were walking, Elisa noticed a very bizarre smell and it came from Duncan's armour. Elisa pinched her nose with her two fingers to avoid the stench of Duncan's armour.

Elisa squinted her eyes and asked while pinching her nose "Duncan, when was it the last time you bathe?"

Duncan frowned in suspicion and said "About four days ago. Why do you ask this bizarre question?"

When Elisa heard that response, she gasped and widened her eyes. She used her palm to immediately pushed and Duncan said "Wait, what are you-?"

Duncan into the river and Duncan fell in, crashing into the pool. A huge splash recoiled from Duncan's mass and Elisa said proudly "Good thing I did that, your body reeks so bad that I could vomit."

Duncan glared at Elisa and murmured "Yeah… Fuck you too…"

Elisa widened her eyes and chuckled a little without displaying signs of amusement. "What did you just say?"

Elisa immediately drew her bow out and shot an arrow beside Duncan.

Duncan jumped and yelled "Ah Fuck! Calm down! Gods…"

Elisa crossed her arms and puckered her lips. "I want to bathe separate places without you viewing me a perverted manner."

Duncan squinted his eyes and said bitterly in sarcasm "Oh, don't worry… You will find everlasting peace with me around."

"I hope so. If I see a glimpse of you entering my territory… I'll come after you."

Duncan rolled his eyes due to absurdness and said sarcastically "*Sigh* I accept your request."

Duncan immediately exited the river and tried to find a spot so that he could get undress. Elisa walked to a different place, somewhere Duncan cannot see her. Duncan took his armour off and went into the subtle transparent river. The river stream left with slow amount of speed and Duncan submerged within the pool and quickly came out to gasp for air. He used his palms to wash his body, face and hair. Duncan paused and blinked for a couple of seconds. Duncan exited the pool and headed towards Elisa's location. When Duncan arrived, he heard singing from the distance. Elisa was inside the river and the river's height was below her bra. Duncan inspected her beautiful wet body and the orange bikini she wore. Her smooth hips, her flat stomach, her soaked breasts, her feminine body caused Duncan to receive gratification. Elisa's red hair was untied, this caused her hair to be long and wet. Her make-up was removed from her face. She washed her red hair by stroking it numerous times. Particles of water were around Elisa's face and body, completely wet. Her bra and breast were completely wet due to the transparent river. Some water was contained in between Elisa's breasts and some slipped through. She then squeezed and twisted her hair to release the water out of it. The water from her red hair poured into the river, causing a small dripping sound. She used her wet hands to wipe all over her body including her orange bra.

Elisa mumbled in melody _"#...drop from our eyes; feeling the sky's sorrow…#"_

Duncan folded his arms and grinned with amusement. "Wow… Inspecting your seductive display is fascinating from here."

Elisa turned around immediately and opened her mouth wide to gasp. She screamed so loudly that Duncan held his ears and squinted. Elisa used her hands to throw water at Duncan. She yelled furiously "Why are you here!?"

Duncan sneered proudly "I just wanted to have fun, just like you said."

Elisa blushed and covered her orange bra due to complete embarrassment. "That's not what I meant!"

Duncan folded his arms while in the pool and sneered "I just wanted to accompany you. A knight's duty is to protect his lady by all means necessary."

Elisa snapped and yelled "I am not your lady and you are not my knight!"

"You shouldn't be embarrassed, Elisa. There are nothing but birds and bunnies looking at you. I don't think they could make a mockery of you."

Elisa softened her face and nodded. "Yeah, maybe you're right..."

"Do you mind me coming in?"

Elisa waved her right hand and said "Oh no, not at all."

Duncan entered the river beside Elisa and walked slowly due to the density of the river.

Elisa submerged within the river and then popped her head out. She whipped her hair left and right rapidly to release all the water out.

Duncan looked at Elisa in muse and said "This feels erotic…"

Elisa rubbed her entire body with water and pouted her lips. "Well, you wanted to receive fun through my sexual attractions."

Duncan was concealed in deep thought and ignored Elisa due to how absorbed he was in.

Elisa quickly threw water to Duncan's face and said "Duncan, you're drifting off..."

Duncan wiped his face and scowled "You get on my nerves, you know that?"

Elisa used her eyes to look aside and stroked her hair. "Ohh… One of my methods of having fun… You need to always look at the positive sides of things. I know it's hard, especially for me but… you can try."

Duncan folded his arms and replied "No, I don't need to try… All I have is one goal and I'm going to settle it."

"Duncan, you're always fixed on one goal. They are more opportunities in life and you just have to find them."

Elisa squinted and said "Oh yeah…"

Elisa abruptly threw water at Duncan's face again. "That was for checking me out when I was bathing."

Duncan squinted and smiled under his fake grin. "You know what…"

Duncan abruptly splashed water on Elisa's face. Elisa covered her face and she giggled.

Elisa splashed water back at Duncan and Duncan laughed. Duncan retaliated by throwing water at Elisa's face and he sneered "You like that?"

Elisa turned her body away from Duncan. Her fists were near her face and she vibrated them due to the cold water. She shrieked with vehement amusement "Stop it!"

Elisa looked back at Duncan and sneered "Heh! You could do better than that!"

Elisa and Duncan were playing within the water and laughing with such joy. They repeatedly splashed water at each other to share entertainment and they stop. Duncan and Elisa both gaze at each other with innocent eyes.

Duncan paused and said "I've just notice... When I'm with you… You always bring me back to my childhood."

"I can tell you miss those times..."

Duncan nodded slowly in acceptance and said "Well, we can't go back into the past…"

Elisa nodded slowly and said "I know…"

Duncan admired Elisa's appearance and he said sincerely "I never thought seeing you like this... You are very beautiful and I mean it sincerely."

Elisa's stroked her wet red hair and she giggled while showing her white teeth. "Thank you, your kinds words will one day change how I feel about you…"

Duncan folded his arms and replied "That will take too long…"

Elisa tilted her head and swayed her eyes. "It could be short… We cannot predict the future…"

Duncan paused momentarily and stared at Elisa without conveying words. He then said as awkward silence broke out "Erm…"

Elisa giggled and gazed at Duncan with innocent eyes. Elisa blushed by looking aside and stroking her hair. Duncan returned with a gaze by smiling at her beautiful face. He gently placed his wet hand on Elisa's cheek and Elisa grabbed Duncan's arm gently. She smiled and slowly approached to Duncan. Duncan grabbed her left wrist and their faces were at a close distance. They both looked aside and inhaled and exhaled slowly to reclaim their breaths. Their skins were moist due to the river and the heat of the sun. Elisa grabbed Duncan's face with her hands and they both trapped their lips together. Duncan's cheeks were covered in water and Elisa used her lips to trap Duncan's bottom lip. Elisa sucked Duncan's bottom lip to release a kissing sound. They both simultaneously opened and closed each other's mouths to deliver a passionate kiss. They repeated this method for a few times and Duncan wrapped his arms around Elisa's back. Duncan placed his hands-on Elisa's arse and she tightened her eyelids with much prurient. Elisa deepened the kiss by repositioning her lips that contacted Duncan's. She placed her left wet hand gently on Duncan's chest, causing a stream of water to run down. She then wrapped her right arm around his neck and Duncan firmly moved his hands from her arse towards her back. Elisa opened her mouth and delightedly breathed slowly with contentment as Duncan's hands rubbed from Elisa's arse. She gave a satisfying exhale and then bit her bottom lip. Duncan then moved in for the kiss and sucked Elisa's lips. Elisa closed her eyes and then widened her eyes with realization. She immediately stopped and pushed Duncan away from her.

Elisa gasped and widened her eyes with shock. She shook her head and said "I-I didn't mean to…! I didn't mean to…!"

Duncan looked down with a dejected face and Elisa immediately left the river in shame. Duncan stood by the river speechless.

The moon raised and the sky was dark blue. Stars were set within the sky along with the crescent moon. Duncan and Elisa were sitting by the fire to retain warmth to prevent hypothermia. Duncan was cooking and Elisa sat on a chopped tree log. Duncan saw Elisa by herself in silence. She looked down with dejection and she rested her cheek on her palm.

Duncan approached Elisa and said "That kiss that happened back there…, it did not seem to satisfy you…"

Elisa brought her make-up box out and she planted the indigo make-up on her upper eyelid. She then used pink lip-gloss and she used the corner of her eyes to look at Duncan while she put lip-gloss. She paused by looking down and she raised her right hand up. "Duncan, I advise you to refrain from speaking about that kiss because it was an accident."

Elisa done her makeup and then she sprayed the Passionate Fruit on herself. She got out brush and brushed her hair. Duncan nodded slowly in acceptance and said "I understand…"

Duncan departed from Elisa and Elisa paused in muse. "Duncan, I got caught into the moment okay… I've never experienced a time like that… Especially with somebody else."

Elisa continued to brush her hair and when she had finished, she redid her red hair back to its original style.

Duncan sat down beside her and Duncan wrapped his right arm around Elisa. Duncan asked "Are you okay?"

Elisa squinted her right eye and waved her hand. "Yeah-yeah, why would you say that?"

"Judging by the expression on your face, you seem distress."

Elisa smiled unsettlingly at Duncan and said "It's nothing bothering, don't worry about it."

Duncan nodded suspiciously and finished cooking dinner. He made venison chop and sprinkled salt on it. Duncan served the food on the wooden plate and Duncan gave Elisa the food.

Elisa stared at the food oddly and frowned bewildered. "Uhhh…"

Duncan frowned and asked "Is there something the matter?"

Elisa looked at Duncan unsettling and said "I'm a vegetarian."

Duncan nodded and sneered sarcastically "Okay, more for me."

Elisa said in a high pitched tone due to bewilderment "What!?"

Duncan laughed and said "I was just messing with you."

Duncan scratched his head and asked "What do you want to eat anyway?"

Elisa crossed her legs and folded her arms. "Anything other than meat."

Duncan nodded and cooked Vegetable Soup. He first added cabbage into the water that he boiled and he stirred it slowly.

Elisa stood up and approached Duncan. "That's not how you do it..."

Duncan was confused and said "What?"

Elisa grabbed Duncan's hand gently and stirred the pan. "You stir the food slowly and you must put your heart into it when you are cooking…"

Elisa released Duncan and said "There…" Elisa paused for a moment and she opened her mouth and gazed at Duncan in muse.

Duncan looked at Elisa and frowned. "Uh…, what are you doing?"

Elisa realized what action she was performing and she shook her head. "S-sorry… I'll ready the potatoes…"

Duncan frowned at Elisa with bewilderment and Duncan continued to stir the soup with his wooden spoon. Elisa drew a knife and chopped the potato into slices. When she had finished, she added the ingredient within the soup.

Elisa approached Duncan and she said "Excuse me."

Duncan instantly moved and replied "Oh, sorry."

Elisa added the ingredient inside the soup. Duncan brought the leek out and broke it into pieces to increase the flavour. Lastly, tomato was sliced by Elisa, she had a delicate skill with cutting. She slashed the tomatoes in extreme speed and her eyes were set firmly on the tomato with full focus. The soup was ready, it was filled with an orange colour. The chopped-up vegetables submerged within the soup and the soup released subtle steams.

Duncan smiled and said "Thank you, Elisa."

Elisa smiled warmly and said "Don't mention it."

Dinner was served and Duncan gave Elisa the soup in a wooden bowl.

Elisa took the soup and smiled warmly at the soup. She said happily "Thank you."

Duncan used his fork and knife to eat his venison chop on the wooden plate. He chewed the meat and he noticed something strange at the distance. He saw a ghastly image of his father and his father shook his head rapidly to warn Duncan to back off. Duncan immediately stopped eating and goggled at his father.

Elisa saw the expression on Duncan's face and she asked "Duncan, are you okay?"

Elisa grabbed Duncan's arm and jolted it. Duncan snapped out his delusional image and he replied "Yeah-yeah, I'm fine."

Elisa gave a sad expression and said "Duncan, you are not talking to me about your problems. I am beginning to notice your bizarre behaviour. Do you have some form of schizophrenia or any psychological illnesses because you can always discuss it with me."

Duncan snapped and snarled "It's fucking nothing, leave me alone!"

Elisa widened her eyes and gasped with shock. She looked down with a sad expression and remained silent.

Duncan widened his eyes and looked at his right palm. Duncan faltered "I-I'm… sorry, Elisa. I didn't mean to respond like that. I've just not been having good sleep lately."

"I understand… You just need to keep yourself mentally fit. I'm no doctor but the best method is to sleep well and eat healthier things. It helps me."

Duncan nodded strongly and said "Y-you're right... You don't have to worry about me…"

Elisa chuckled and smiled warmly. "That's good… Just let me know because I'm here for you."

After when Duncan and Elisa finished their conversation, they went to sleep inside their tents. They waited for the next day to approach them.


End file.
